Insights & Discussion
Breast massage eases pain and symptoms in breastfeeding problems.
This systematic review assesses the effectiveness of breast massage as a treatment for breastfeeding problems. It focuses on outcomes like pain reduction, increased milk supply, and resolution of issues like blocked ducts and mastitis. While breastfeeding is crucial for infant health, rates drop, and complications like mastitis contribute. The review covers studies from 1980 to 2017, including six diverse studies. Although outcomes varied due to different interventions and small sample sizes, all reported reduced pain. However, lack of detailed technique explanation and training hinder replicability. This research is valuable for healthcare professionals, suggesting a need for standardized measurement tools and more robust trials.
Discover Related Insights
Date fruit consumption appears to be useful for promoting and increasing breast milk quantity in breastfeeding mothers. Date fruits may be an alternative galactagogue.
2021 Breastfeeding Medicine The Effects of Date Fruit Consumption on Breast Milk Quantity and Nutritional Status of Infants Modepeng T, Pavadhgul P, Bumrungpert A, Kitipichai W
Randomised Controlled Trial Breastfeeding Date Fruit Galactagogues
Breastfeeding mothers who received 10 date fruits/day had an 11% increase in breast milk quantity from baseline to week 2, and a 23% increase from baseline to week 4, (both p < 0.05). The breast milk quantity of the breastfeeding mothers who received date fruits was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). However, there were no differences in infant nutritional status.
Gua sha therapy may be more effective than hot packs with massage for reducing breast pain.
2020 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation Zakarija-Grkovic I, Stewart F
Systematic Review Breastfeeding Gua Sha
In this version of the review, 21 studies involving 2170 breastfeeding women were analysed. A range of interventions for the treatment of breast engorgement were tested. These included: cabbage leaves, various compresses (ginger, cactus/aloe, hollyhock), massage plus cactus and aloe compress, acupuncture, ultrasound, acupressure, scraping therapy (Gua Sha), cold breast‐packs, electromechanical massage, Oketani breast massage, and medical treatments (serrapeptase, protease, oxytocin). Six studies used individual breasts as the unit of analysis making it difficult to evaluate the true effect of the studied intervention. Due to the heterogeneous interventions, we were unable to pool results in meta‐analysis; hence, a qualitative analysis resulted in the following findings.
Acupoint massage enhances acute mastitis treatment.
2019 Journal of Integrative Nursing Efficacy of Acupoint Massage Versus Normal Treatments for Acute Mastitis: A Systematic Review Hui JU, Xue-Ling MA, Hong GUO, Hai-Yan WANG, You-Hua LIU, Luo YANG, et al.
Systematic Review Mastitis
Acupoint massage proves effective in treating acute mastitis, as per a systematic review of 16 randomized controlled trials involving 2056 patients. The analysis indicates that acupoint massage enhances clinical treatment efficiency, shortens onset time, reduces lump size, and alleviates symptoms. However, it shows no significant impact on recurrence or cure rates. While this evidence supports acupoint massage as a beneficial adjunct therapy for acute mastitis, the need for higher-quality studies is emphasized to further validate these findings.
Chamomile consumption may stimulate abundant milk production and increase lactogenesis in lactating women.
2017 The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine Chamomile reveals to be a potent galactogogue: the unexpected effect Silva FV, Dias F, Costa G, Campos MG
Case Report Breastfeeding Chamomile Galactagogues
In the report, a woman accidentally discovered an unexpected outcome - an abundant amount of milk and high breast tension - a few hours after consuming chamomile. This observation has not been documented before and sheds light on a possible natural means of stimulating milk production. Regular consumption of chamomile during pregnancy and lactation is well-known for various reasons, but this galactagogue effect, that is the promotion of lactation, has never been reported previously. The woman’s case was carefully documented and analysed to draw a correlation between chamomile intake and this resulting effect.
The potential galactagogue effect of chamomile presents an interesting but unfamiliar aspect. This insight could be potentially useful for mothers struggling with breastfeeding,with the caveat being that the safety of this herbal product's intake without risk to mothers or newborns is still under scrutiny. The results are unexpected and novel, pointing towards a potential new benefit of chamomile tea for lactating women - stimulating lactogenesis. However, the conclusions are drawn from a single case and further in-depth studies are required to confirm this effect and to understand the underlying biological mechanisms at work.