Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation

Background: The most common reason for the interruption of exclusive breastfeeding is the assumption of insufficient breast milk. Egyptian women have traditionally used fenugreek to increase milk flow and supplementation. However, this practice has not been scientifically evaluated or proved yet. Ob...

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Main Authors: Rania Mohamed Abdou, Mona Fathey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2018-09-01
Series:Egyptian Pediatric Association Gazette
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110663818300387
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author Rania Mohamed Abdou
Mona Fathey
author_facet Rania Mohamed Abdou
Mona Fathey
author_sort Rania Mohamed Abdou
collection DOAJ
description Background: The most common reason for the interruption of exclusive breastfeeding is the assumption of insufficient breast milk. Egyptian women have traditionally used fenugreek to increase milk flow and supplementation. However, this practice has not been scientifically evaluated or proved yet. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the consumption of one of the herbal galactagogues (fenugreek) on expressed breastmilk volume and post-partum prolactin level change. Methods: The study included 60 healthy mothers whom baby was admitted to Pediatric Ain shams University NICU for more than two weeks and used to express breast milk using manual breast pump. Mothers were divided into two equal groups as following: group 1 included 30 mothers who consumed three times 200 ml of fenugreek tea (50 gm of fenugreek seeds) with eight times breast pump and group 2 included 30 mothers who used breast pump 8 times per day without fenugreek consumption. Total daily volume of pumped breast milk was assessed at day 3, day 8 and day 15. Serum prolactin was withdrawn at day 3 and day 15 at 9 am. Results: The results showed that the mean breastmilk volume increased earlier (at day 3) in the fenugreek group more than the control group (274.60 ± 46.97 ml, 246.37 ± 46.62 ml respectively p < 0.005). Yet at day 8 & 15 the net daily volume showed no significant difference between both groups. Prolactin level was significantly higher on day 3 in group of fenugreek than other group (152.77 ± 18.46 ng/ml versus 134.53 ± 17.35 ng/ml) with no significant difference later on. Conclusion: Fenugreek consumption affects the early stage of lactogenesis and prolactin level but did not affect the established breastmilk volume or change in prolactin level at later stages so it can be used for mother satisfaction and reassurance in the early stages of lactation.
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spelling doaj.art-37ae1e1974e2452db4b87eafaa0b97f52022-12-21T18:31:24ZengSpringerOpenEgyptian Pediatric Association Gazette1110-66382018-09-016635760Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variationRania Mohamed Abdou0Mona Fathey1Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt; Corresponding author.Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, EgyptBackground: The most common reason for the interruption of exclusive breastfeeding is the assumption of insufficient breast milk. Egyptian women have traditionally used fenugreek to increase milk flow and supplementation. However, this practice has not been scientifically evaluated or proved yet. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the consumption of one of the herbal galactagogues (fenugreek) on expressed breastmilk volume and post-partum prolactin level change. Methods: The study included 60 healthy mothers whom baby was admitted to Pediatric Ain shams University NICU for more than two weeks and used to express breast milk using manual breast pump. Mothers were divided into two equal groups as following: group 1 included 30 mothers who consumed three times 200 ml of fenugreek tea (50 gm of fenugreek seeds) with eight times breast pump and group 2 included 30 mothers who used breast pump 8 times per day without fenugreek consumption. Total daily volume of pumped breast milk was assessed at day 3, day 8 and day 15. Serum prolactin was withdrawn at day 3 and day 15 at 9 am. Results: The results showed that the mean breastmilk volume increased earlier (at day 3) in the fenugreek group more than the control group (274.60 ± 46.97 ml, 246.37 ± 46.62 ml respectively p < 0.005). Yet at day 8 & 15 the net daily volume showed no significant difference between both groups. Prolactin level was significantly higher on day 3 in group of fenugreek than other group (152.77 ± 18.46 ng/ml versus 134.53 ± 17.35 ng/ml) with no significant difference later on. Conclusion: Fenugreek consumption affects the early stage of lactogenesis and prolactin level but did not affect the established breastmilk volume or change in prolactin level at later stages so it can be used for mother satisfaction and reassurance in the early stages of lactation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110663818300387
spellingShingle Rania Mohamed Abdou
Mona Fathey
Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
Egyptian Pediatric Association Gazette
title Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
title_full Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
title_fullStr Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
title_short Evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
title_sort evaluation of early postpartum fenugreek supplementation on expressed breast milk volume and prolactin levels variation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110663818300387
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