SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL Effectiveness of breast massage in the treatment of women with breastfeeding problems: a systematic review protocol 1,2 1,2 3 Loretta Anderson Kathryn Kynoch Sue Kildea 1The Queensland Centre for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery: a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence, 2Mater Health Services, and 3Mater Research Institute University of Queensland (MRI-UQ) School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Review question/objective: The aim is to identify the effectiveness of breast massage in the treatment of women with breastfeeding problems. The objectives are to identify if breast massage has been shown to: 1. Improve pain associated with engorgement and mastitis 2. Increase milk supply 3. Resolve blocked ducts that are restricting milk flow. Keywords Breastfeeding; breastfeeding problems; lactation; nursing; postpartum women . Background Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as no other food or he World Health Organization (WHO) recom- drink, except breast milk for 6 months of life, but allows the infant to receive oral rehydration salts, T mends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six 1 months of life.1 The epidemiologic evidence is now drops and syrups (vitamins, minerals and medicines). clear that, even in developed countries, breastfeeding A report on the inquiry into the health benefits of protects babies against gastroenteritis, respiratory breastfeeding states that early weaning has been and ear infections, urinary tract infections, allergies, estimated to cost the Australian healthcare system a staggering $60–$120 million a year in hospitaliz- diabetes mellitus, sudden infant death syndrome, 10 necrotizing enterocolitis in premature babies, ation and ongoing healthcare costs for babies. obesity and increases intelligence quotient.1–4 The Research into why women wean has been conducted health benefits of breastfeeding for women are also in many studies and breastfeeding problems, such as well documented and include lactation amenorrhea, sore nipples, poor sucking technique, perceived faster return to pre-pregnancy body weight, possible insufficient milk supply, breast engorgement and mastitis are reported to contribute to early wean- protection against osteoporosis, and protection 11–13 against ovarian, breast and uterine cancer.5,6 Human ing. Treatment methods to support women milk represents the gold standard for providing through these problems are imperative for the health of our society. protective nutrients for a newborn adjusting to an 14 extra-uterine existence.7 Evidence by Bergmann et al. found, in a cohort In Australia, according to the 2010 Australian of 556 mothers who birthed in Perth, Western National Infant Feeding Survey,8 96% of infants Australia, that 80% declared they had experienced began breastfeeding, yet by one month of age only one or more problems related to breastfeeding, as described above. In the first month, Bergmann 61% were exclusively breastfeeding and the rate 14 steadily declined to 15% at six months of age. The et al. found the most frequently self-reported United States has a comparable rate of exclusive reasons for weaning were trouble sucking and breastfeeding at 6 months of age of just over 18%.9 latching on, sore, cracked nipples, painful breasts and overfull or engorged breasts. Common breast- feeding problems as defined in the literature are nipple/breast pain, low milk supply (perceived Correspondence: Loretta Anderson, [email protected]; [email protected] or actual), blocked ducts, engorgement, mastitis, There is no conflict of interest in this project. breast abscess, and anatomy problems (mother/ 12,14–16 DOI: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-003058 baby). JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports ß 2016 THE JOANNA BRIGGS INSTITUTE 19 ©2016 Joanna Briggs Institute. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL L. Anderson et al. Breast massage is widely used throughout the Inclusion criteria world as a treatment of breastfeeding problems.17 Types of participants For example, the Oketani breast massage technique The review will consider breastfeeding women of used a pre-test/post-test design for postpartum any age and parity regardless of previous breastfeed- mothers complaining of breast pain, which resulted ing problems and treatments. The women included in a significant decrease in breast pain and increase in will be from any geographical location. breast milk supply.18 Breast massage has been used with success in both the support of breastfeeding Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest women and the treatment of common breastfeeding This review will consider studies that evaluate breast difficulties.17 massage as an intervention for women with breast- There are many techniques used for breast mas- feeding problems related to milk supply, mastitis, sage that are documented, including the Oketani engorgement and blocked ducts. Breast massage Lactation Management, the Gua Sha Therapy, the encompasses, but is not limited to, gentle tactile Marmet Technique and general massage of breast stimulation of mammary and nipple tissue before, tissue to relieve blocked ducts by massaging toward during and after feeds, and may include massaging the nipple.17–20 However, these techniques have not toward the nipple, axillae and incorporate localized been systematically reviewed and their benefit is not massage over areas of need.19,23–25 Comparators widely recognized worldwide. Some individual stud- will include, but are not limited to, the usual care ies of breast massage discuss results on resolving provided to women with breastfeeding problems as blocked ducts, increasing milk supply, reducing defined by the study. For example, feeding more breast pain, reducing breast engorgement and frequently, reverse pressure softening, hand express- increasing the pH of breast milk to aid in the growth ing, pumping and cool or warm compresses. and development of the infant.17,19–21 Individual studies investigating interventions for Outcomes the management of breast engorgement found insuf- Primary outcomes ficient or inconclusive results. Furthermore, in most This review will consider studies that include the studies, the women in both groups received advice on following outcomes: multiple interventions, including massage, that may Breast milk supply each affect the outcomes.22 Interventions for pre- Pain venting mastitis after childbirth showed insufficient Blocked ducts evidence to recommend treatment and found studies Engorgement were small and poor in methodological quality; Mastitis therefore they were unable to address the question of effectiveness.13 Measurement of primary outcomes An initial search of Cochrane, JBI Database of Only studies that used a validated tool/measure to Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, measure outcomes will be included in the review. For CINAHL and MEDLINE databases found no com- example, tools for measuring breast milk supply pleted systematic review evaluating the effectiveness outcomes may include: breastmilk quantity using of breast massage in the treatment of women with test weighing of baby before and after a feed and breastfeeding problems. This systematic review will measured expressed milk volumes from an electric look at randomized controlled trials, non-random- breast pump.26 For pain outcome measures may ized controlled trials, before and after studies, case- include: unidimensional pain scales such as the control studies and cohort studies. These studies will Numerical Rating Scale, Verbal Rating Scale or be considered for inclusion to enable the identifi- Visual Analogue Scale, which are recommended cation of the current best evidence in assessing breast for assessment of pain intensity.27 massage as an intervention for improving pain Clearing of blocked ducts has been measured in associated with engorgement and mastitis, increas- an observational study of 3497 lactating women ing milk supply and treating blocked ducts that with plugged ducts. The response to the treatment restrict milk flow. was graded as I (complete resolution), II (marked JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports ß 2016 THE JOANNA BRIGGS INSTITUTE 20 ©2016 Joanna Briggs Institute. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL L. Anderson et al. improvement), III (improvement) or IV (no EMBASE response).28 This systematic review will look at MIDIRS resolution of plugged ducts in the same way. Further- SCOPUS more, blocked ducts, breast engorgement and mas- AMED – Allied and Complimentary Medicine Data- titis systematic reviews use ratings of pain, hardness base and swelling as a measure of effectiveness of inter- Cochrane Central Trials Register ventions.13,14,28 The search for unpublished studies will include: Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Secondary outcome Register Secondary outcome of interest will include the Clinical trials.gov duration of breastfeeding. NHS Research Register ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database Types of studies Google Scholar This review will consider both experimental and Initial keywords to be used will be: breastfeeding epidemiological study designs, including random- or breastfed or breastfeed or breast-fed or breast- ized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled feeding or breast-feed or ‘‘breast feed’’ or ‘‘breast trials, quasi-experimental, before and after studies, fed’’ or nursing or lactation