Nipple pain and damage are commonly experienced by breastfeeding women and are associated with negative breastfeeding outcomes. Health care providers often recommend the application of lanolin to treat painful/damaged nipples, yet no randomized controlled trial has evaluated the effectiveness of lanolin on nipple pain and breastfeeding outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lanolin on nipple pain among breastfeeding women with damaged nipples. A randomized, single-blind, controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Breastfeeding women (N = 186) identified as having nipple pain/damage were randomized to apply lanolin (intervention group; n = 93) or to receive usual postpartum care (control group; n = 93). The primary outcome was nipple pain at 4 days post-randomization measured by the Numeric Rating Scale. Additional outcomes included nipple pain measured by the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, breastfeeding duration/exclusivity, breastfeeding self-efficacy, and maternal satisfaction with lanolin treatment versus usual care. The results revealed no significant group differences in mean pain scores at 4 days post-randomization. Women in both groups experienced clinically relevant decreases in nipple pain by 7 days post-randomization. Significantly, more women in the lanolin group reported that they were satisfied with treatment compared with those receiving usual care. No significant group differences were found for other secondary outcomes. While more women were satisfied using lanolin, its application to sore/damaged nipples was ineffective for reducing nipple pain or improving breastfeeding outcomes.
Purpose: Breastfeeding-related pain is commonly experienced early in the postpartum period and is an important contributor to breastfeeding cessation, yet little is known about what this pain means to women and how it is experienced. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of breastfeeding-related pain, how women experience this pain, and the meaning it holds for them. Study Design and Methods: Interpretive descriptive methods and inductive content analysis were used. Women were recruited using purposive sampling with a snowball approach. Data were collected via one-to-one interviews using a semistructured interview guide with postpartum women having experienced breastfeeding-related pain in the past 2 months. Results: Fourteen postpartum women who met inclusion criteria were interviewed. They were predominantly Caucasian, well educated, and had greater than average Canadian annual household incomes. The dominant emerging discourse revealed three key themes: (a) interplay between breastfeeding pain and context, (b) action enablers and/or barriers, and (c) breastfeeding outcomes. Clinical Implications: Breastfeeding-related pain is an unpleasant sensory and affective experience for women during the postpartum period. Availability and accessibility of breastfeeding supports are essential to enable women to achieve their breastfeeding goals. Providing anticipatory guidance may help women to cope more effectively with their breastfeeding-related pain.
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