Feasibility and Acceptability of Two Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Perceived Insufficient Milk in Mothers of Late Preterm and Early Term Infants.

Abstract

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) could be one option to address perceived insufficient milk (PIM), but there are few data comparing the effectiveness, acceptability, and safety of various CAM therapies. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare, among women delivering at 34-376/7 weeks, the feasibility and acceptability of two CAM interventions for treatment of PIM: (1) a meditation/relaxation intervention via an MP3 (Apple iPod Shuffle©) player and (2) a commercially available combination-blend herbal supplement (Motherlove: More Milk Plus Alcohol Free®). Materials and Methods: After randomization, over 9 days, women received three home visits from a lactation consultant, recorded pre/post intervention test weights and expressed milk volume, tracked daily breastfeeding behavior, and completed an end-of-study interview about the interventions. Women in each group were offered the other group's intervention on study day 9. Breastfeeding status and intervention continuation were assessed at 2 months. Results: Of 183 women screened, 11 were eligible, enrolled into, and completed the 9-day trial. Six women were randomized to the herbal supplement and 5 to meditation. One participant (meditation) stopped breastfeeding on study day 8. At 2 months, 3 of 6 women assigned to the herbal supplement and 3 of 5 women assigned to meditation were still breastfeeding; 1 (herbal supplement) was exclusively breastfeeding. Most participants were adherent to the prescribed protocols for both interventions. Interventions were generally perceived as safe, with benefits not necessarily related to increased milk supply. Conclusion: Mothers of late preterm and early term infants who had PIM found the CAM interventions acceptable and safe. The effect of CAM therapies on breastfeeding outcomes, with and without in-home lactation assistance, requires further investigation.