The effect of foot reflexology massage on breast milk volume of mothers with premature infants: A randomized controlled trial

Effect of Reflexology on Pain, Fatigue, Sleep Quality, and Lactation in Postpartum Primiparous Women After Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Mothers commonly experience pain, fatigue, sleep disruption, and breastfeeding problems after cesarean delivery. To date, no follow-up study has examined all of these variables to evaluate the utility of reflexology in reducing these problems and supporting breastfeeding.

RESEARCH AIM

This study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology performed in the postpartum period on pain, fatigue, sleep quality, and lactation in primiparous women who underwent cesarean delivery.

METHODS

This is a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Data were collected between January 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, with a sample of 80 women who were randomly assigned to the reflexology (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. The reflexology group received 40 minutes of foot reflexology once a week for 8 weeks. The primary outcomes of the study were pain, fatigue, sleep quality, and breastfeeding efficacy.

RESULTS

Pain scores in the reflexology group decreased by 90.9% in week 1, 90.2% in week 2, and 59.8% in week 3 compared to the control group. Pain resolved at week 4 in the reflexology group and week 7 in the control group. The reflexology group showed a 36.9% decrease in fatigue level, a 48.0% increase in energy level, a 70.7% increase in sleep quality, and a 20.2% increase in breastfeeding efficacy compared to the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Foot reflexology reduces postpartum symptoms and positively affects breastfeeding and can be used safely in postnatal care practices.

Effect of Foot Reflexology and Benson Relaxation on Pain, Breastfeeding and Weight of Neonates of Women Undergoing a Cesarean Section

BACKGROUND

Given the negative effect of postoperative pharmacological pain control on breastfeeding, the present study aimed to compare the effects of reflexology and Benson relaxation methods on pain, breastfeeding, and infant weight gain in women undergoing a cesarean section (C/S).

METHODS

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 135 women undergoing a C/S in the Gynecology Ward of Bushehr Persian Gulf Martyrs Hospital in Bushehr, Iran, in 2020. The participants were selected using convenience sampling, and randomly divided into three groups of foot reflexology, Benson relaxation, and control. The interventions were performed two hours post-operation and six hours after the first intervention. The pain score was measured and recorded immediately, and 30 and 60 minutes after each intervention. Breastfeeding frequency and duration were also assessed in the first 18 hours of birth. The infants' weight was assessed at birth and 10 days later. Data analysis was performed using inferential statistics, chi-square or Fisher's exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U or one-way ANOVA, Wilcoxon test and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

There was a larger decrease in the pain score of the reflexology and Benson relaxation (P<0.01) groups after the first and second interventions, compared to the control group. The breastfeeding frequency was higher in the two intervention groups, compared to the control group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the rate of return to the birth weight in ten days of birth was higher in the reflexology (P<0.01) and Benson groups (P<0.05) than the control group.

CONCLUSION

Both the reflexology and the Benson relaxation methods effectively decreased pain and increased breastfeeding frequency and the infant's weight gain.

The Effect of Circular and Oscillating Breast Massage on the Amount of Breast Milk Produced: An Innovative Method

Background: In addition to suffering stress and anxiety owing to being separated from their babies, mothers whose babies are hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units suffer breastfeeding problems. Moreover, their breast milk production may decrease over time. Objective: Examining the effect of circular and oscillating breast massage on the amount of breast milk produced. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled experimental study used a pretest-posttest model. The participants included 120 mothers (experimental group: 60, control group: 60) who went to a breast milk pumping unit of a hospital between December 1, 2017, and July 31, 2019. A circular and oscillating breast massage device was used to massage both breasts for 10 to 15 minutes, three times a day, for 3 days, and milk production was measured daily. The sociodemographic characteristics, perceptions regarding breast massage, and daily breast milk amounts of the mothers were collected. Results: The average age of the mothers that participated in the study was 30.21 ± 5.58 years; the average birth week of their babies was 32.31 ± 4.10 weeks. There were no significant differences in the mothers' amounts of milk production before the procedure in the experimental and control groups. In the study group, milk production increased by 7.92%, 5.25%, and 5.02% on days 1, 2, and 3 of the procedure, respectively. The mothers' total amount of milk production before and after the procedure (3 days) increased by 22.28%. Significant differences were found between the study groups on days 1, 2, and 3 and the total amount of milk produced after the procedure. Conclusion: Our study found circular and oscillating breast massage increased the amount of breast milk produced and decreased breast pain and swelling. Similar studies on the clinical use of this treatment should be conducted in line with the results of this study.

Status of breast care during pregnancy with milk production and disease

BACKGROUND

Breast care is an important routine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Its absence leads to inadequate milk production before and after childbirth.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the status of breast care during pregnancy, which is related to milk production and disease after childbirth in the Tinggede Health Center, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi.

METHODS

The method used was an analytic survey with a cross-sectional approach and the samples were 82 breastfeeding mothers in the working area of the Tinggede Health Center. The sampling used a total population, and data were obtained by interview and observation. Furthermore, the analysis technique used Chi-Square.

RESULTS

The results showed there was a relationship between breast care during pregnancy with milk production (p = 0.001), and breast care status with a disease (p = 0.012). The common diseases suffered by breastfeeding mothers due to inadequate care are non-protruding nipples, infections, blocked milk ducts, mastitis, and lumps.

CONCLUSIONS

Breastfeeding mothers' failure to care for their breasts during pregnancy can lead to lack of milk production and diseases such as non-protruding nipples, infections, blocked milk ducts, mastitis, and lumps.

Effect of plantar reflexology on labor pain and childbirth experience: A randomized controlled clinical trial

AIM

This study aimed to determine the effect of plantar reflexology on the severity of labor pain and childbirth experience (primary outcomes) and the duration of labor stages (secondary outcomes).

METHODS

This single-blind randomized controlled trial was performed on 90 women in Al-Zahra and Taleghani hospitals in Tabriz-Iran. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups; Intervention 1 (two 30-min massages at the effective point of pain for each sole), intervention 2 (one 30-min massage at the effective point of pain and one 30-min massage at the heel for each sole), and control (two 30-minute heel massages). Massage was performed once in 4-cm dilatation and the second time in 7-cm dilatation. The severity of pain and childbirth experience were measured by Visual Analogue Scale and Labor Agentry Scale, respectively. Partograph chart was used to measure the length of labor stages.

RESULTS

The severity of pain in intervention group 1 was significantly lower than the control group (AMD: -1.7; 9% confidence interval: -2.8 to -0.6; p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference between intervention groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.066) and intervention group 2 and control (p = 0.336). A significant difference was observed between groups in terms of length of the third stage of labor (p = 0.04). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of mean childbirth experience score (p = 0.217), duration of active phase (p = 0.099), and second stage of labor (p = 0.114).

CONCLUSION

The results of the study showed that plantar reflexology can reduce the severity of labor pain and the length of third stage of labor.

The Effect of Reflexology on Lactation in Women Who Had Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

AIM

The research was conducted as a randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate the effects of reflexology on lactation in mothers who delivered by cesarean section (CS).

METHODS

A single-blind randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with a total of 60 postpartum women in the reflexology application (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). After the CS, the mothers in the control group were given approximately 3-h routine nursing care after recovering from the effects of anesthesia; the introductory information form was applied, and the Breastfeeding Charting System and Documentation Tool (LATCH) and visual analog scale (VAS) for the signs of the onset of lactation were implemented on the first and second days. Reflexology was applied to the women in the intervention group after an average of 3 h following the mother's condition had become stable and she had recovered from the effects of anesthesia. Reflexology was applied a total of 20 min - 10 min for the right foot, 10 min for the left foot - twice a day with 8-h intervals on the first and second days after CS. After the last reflexology application, the LATCH and VAS for the signs of the onset of lactation were applied.

RESULTS

Of the women, 70% breastfed their babies within 60 min after delivery; 46.7% of the mothers received breastfeeding training and 81.7% needed support for breastfeeding after the CS. The LATCH breastfeeding scores of the women in the intervention group on both days were significantly higher compared to those of the women in the control group (p < 0.001). On the first day after the CS, apart from breast pain, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of breast heat and breast tension (p > 0.05). On the second day after the CS, apart from breast tension, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of breast heat and breast pain (p < 0.05). In the study, women in the intervention group were found to have higher scores in terms of all three symptoms compared to the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In the study, it was determined that LATCH scores and signs of the onset of breastfeeding increased in the mothers who received reflexology after CS.

Comparing the Effect of Foot and Hand Reflexology on Pain Severity after Appendectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background:

Appendicitis is one of the main causes of acute pain. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of foot and hand reflexology on pain severity following appendectomy.

Materials and Methods:

This clinical trial was conducted on 38 patients undergoing appendectomy in Alimoradian Hospital of Nahavand, Iran, in 2016. The samples were selected using convenience sampling, and then, randomly assigned to hand and foot reflexology groups via simple random sampling. In the foot reflexology group, the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the feet were lubricated using natural olive oil for five minutes. Next, reflexology was done by applying pressure to the appendix reflex area for 20 minutes. The same intervention was applied in the hand reflexology group. The severity of pain was measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before the intervention and one, three, and 24 hours after the intervention. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, One-way Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA), and repeated measures ANOVA.

Results:

The results of one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference in the mean pain severity between the two groups (p = 0.771), whereas pain severity in the foot reflexology group was significantly lower than that of the hand reflexology group after the intervention (t = 1.63, p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

The results of this study showed that foot reflexology was more effective than hand reflexology in pain alleviation.