Comparison of the Effect of Oestrogen Plus Foeniculum vulgare Seed and Oestrogen alone on Increase in Endometrial Thickness in Infertile Women

Abstract

Introduction: Foeniculum vulgare seed is used to treat infertility because of phytoestrogenic properties. Aim: The present study was conducted to compare the effects of F. vulgare plus oestrogen and oestrogen alone on Endometrial Thickness (ET) in infertile women. Materials and Methods: In this study, 92 people with infertility were enrolled by convenience sampling and randomly divided into treatment case (45 women) and control (47 women) groups. Both groups were administered with oestradiol valerate 2 mg tablet three times a day since the third day of the menstrual cycle. Treatment group was also administered with F. vulgare tea on a daily basis. Then, ultrasound was conducted once every three days to determine ET. Other data such as serum β-hCG level and increase in oestrogen dose were recorded in a checklist. The data were analysed by independent t-test and Chi-square in SPSS version 17.0. Results: There were no significant differences in mean age, BMI, number of years of infertility, number of children, cause of infertility, positive β-hCG, failure to achieve adequate endometrial thickness, and increase in oestradiol dose between the treatment and control groups (p>0.05). The mean number of days to achieve ET of at least 8 mm was 13.1±3.2 in the treatment group and 14.2±3.5 in the control group with no significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusion: F. vulgare seed tea was not significantly effective in increasing the ET as compared to oestradiol valerate 6 mg alone.

Keywords

• gynaecological disorders
• infertility
• oestradiol valerate
• phytoestrogen