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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Dec;28(12):2013-2025.
doi: 10.1007/s10995-024-04006-1. Epub 2024 Oct 22.

Effectiveness of the Application of Lanolin, Aloe Vera, and Peppermint on Nipple Pain and Nipple Trauma in Lactating Mothers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Asha P Shetty  1 , Kurvatteppa Halemani  2 , Alwin Issac  1 , Latha Thimmappa  3 , Y N Shashidhara  4 , Edlin Mathias  5 , Sanjay Dhiraaj  6 , K Radha  7 , Prabhaker Mishra  8 , Auchitya Sharma  7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effectiveness of the Application of Lanolin, Aloe Vera, and Peppermint on Nipple Pain and Nipple Trauma in Lactating Mothers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Asha P Shetty et al. Matern Child Health J. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Infants who are not exclusively breastfed are more vulnerable to gastroenteritis, respiratory illness, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Mothers who do not breastfeed their infants are at a higher risk of cancer. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence regarding the effectiveness of applying lanolin, aloe vera, and peppermint for alleviating nipple pain and nipple trauma among lactating mothers.

Methods: Electronic databases, including PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Clinical Key, were searched for studies published in English from January 2000 to December 2022. Nipple pain and nipple trauma were the primary outcomes analysed, and a meta-analysis was conducted via RevMan v5.4.

Results: The reviewed trials involved 1,495 participants from 11 studies, with an average participant age of 29 ± 5 years. The application of lanolin significantly reduced nipple pain and nipple trauma in lactating mothers. The application of peppermint significantly reduced nipple trauma in lactating mothers.

Conclusion: The application of lanolin or peppermint is a beneficial preventive intervention for reducing nipple trauma and pain.

Keywords: Aloe; Breastfeeding; Lactation; Lanolin; Menthe piperita.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations Ethical approval This review protocol has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023407225). Author agreement We, the undersigned, declare that this manuscript is original, has not been published before, and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. Competing interests No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

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