BREAST ENGORGEMENT IN BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS.
Contributors: Case Western Reserve University.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 164
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Painful breast engorgement is one of the main physical difficulties experienced by mothers in the first week postpartum. As it involves the processes of lactogenesis, engorgement has serious implications for the short-term and long-term success of lactation and breastfeeding. Management of engorgement varies greatly in the clinical setting. None of the various treatment modalities, however, has been evaluated for effectiveness in relieving the pain and degree of engorgement.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the effectiveness of cold applications to the engorged breasts of breastfeeding mothers: (a) in relieving the mothers of pain, (b) in reducing the degree of engorgement, and (c) in enhancing transfer of milk from the mother's breasts to the baby. As well, breastfeeding patterns and practices in mothers who developed engorged breasts relative to mothers who did not develop engorged breasts are described.

A total of 152 mothers who had Cesarean births participated in the study. Of the total number, 88 mothers developed breast engorgement and were assigned at random to either the intervention or control group. Pretest data were collected in the morning of the first day that the mother developed engorgement. Posttest data were collected in the evening. Mothers in the intervention group wore the 'breast packs and halter' at specified times throughout the day as a means of applying cold to the breasts. Mothers in the control group followed routine hospital procedures.

Mothers who wore the cold packs experienced significantly less pain and significantly fewer signs and symptoms of breast engorgement at the end of the day than mothers who did not wear the cold packs. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of the amount of milk transferred from the breast to the baby.

Cold is a safe and effective modality for breastfeeding mothers to use to relieve the pain and degree of breast engorgement. No adverse effects of cold on the amount of milk produced and transferred to the baby during breastfeeding were observed. In addition, small breasted mothers were found to be significantly more likely to develop breast engorgement than large breasted mothers.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-07, Section: B, page: 3327.

Thesis (PH.D.)--CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY (HEALTH SCIENCES), 1990.

School code: 0499.