Breast Milk as an Alternative for Postpartum Perineal Care

Abstract

Background: Perineal laceration during childbirth is very common among mothers; however some of them may suffer from its complication if not treated properly.Objective: To prove the effectiveness of breast milk as an alternative topical ingredient in the treatment of perineal wound in postpartum mothers.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with non-equivalent control group posttest only design. There were 30 respondents selected in this study, with 15 assigned in the intervention and control group. Accidental sampling was used to select the samples with the criteria that the respondents had perineal laceration in level 1 and 2. Data were analzed using Mann Whitney test.Results: Effective wound healing process can be seen in the intervention group from 80% of poor category in 6-10 hours (1st period) of postpartum became 86.7% of good category in 7 days of postpartum (4th period). Different from the control group that showed the slow progress of wound healing, which was 86.7% of poor category in the 1st period to only 33.3% of good category in the 4th period. Mann Whitney test showed that there was a significant mean difference of the perineal wound healing process between the intervention group (11.23) and the control group (19.77) with p-value 0.002 (<0.05).Conclusion: Breast milk was more effective than povidone iodine in the treatment of perineal wound. It is suggested for health workers, especially midwife to apply this intervention to accelerate the healing of perineal wound in midwifery care.

The Effect of Breastmilk Topical on Perineal Wound Healing on 1-7 Days Postpartum Mothe

“…The application of breastmilk topical in the intervention group is more influential than the use of antiseptic soap in the control group. This is because breastmilk contains very useful components to help wound healing and prevention of infection, the antiinflammatory molecules, bioactive substances, and growth factors (Admasari, 2017 Breastmilk in humans remains a unique and high standard for health, in this present study will discuss the advantages of breastmilk in medical treatments, one of them is an alternative medicine in perineal wound healing. Topical breastmilk, especially colostrum is rich in substances of antibody, anti-inflammatory, and leukocytes that play a role in pressing the colonization of pathogenic microorganisms, which can cause wound infections and accelerate the healing time (Subiasturik, 2011).…”

“…The development and research of perineal wound healing treatment methods say that the healing is not only can be done pharmacological, but also non-pharmacological been able to be developed, one of the alternatives that can be used is breastmilk. Admasari (2017) in the research entitled Breastmilk as an Alternative for Postpartum Perineal Care, showed that the use of breastmilk is more effective than the use of povidone-iodine in perineum wound care as it contains antiinflammatory, bioactive substances and growth factors that can help wound healing and prevention of infection, in addition, the use of breastmilk are harmless, free, available and sterile for perineal injury, this study also had received local permission of ethics research committees so that there are no aggrieved parties.…”

The Anti‐Inflammatory Properties of the Topical Application of Human Milk in Dermal and Optical Diseases

“…Also, a group of bioactive and anti-inflammatory molecules were known as proresolving mediators (SPMs) that can eliminate the infectious microorganisms, inflammation, and pain in the wound area. Even though the exact mechanism of action remains uncertain, it seems that HM may be a safe and natural substance against foreign and invasive microorganisms due to its rich source of growth factor, anti-inflammatory agents, antibacterial agents, and immunity factors [7].…”

“…Approximately 85% of women undergo the episiotomy (perineal area cut) during labor, of which 69% need suture in the area [ 62 ]. Due to the high moisture and low ventilation, the perineal area seems to be a proper environment for the growth of bacteria and invasive microorganisms [ 7 , 63 ]. The perineal inflammations lead to the mother's pain and discomfort and consequently reduced the ability to take care of herself, the baby, and the family.…”

“…The results of a qualitative study in Zambia show the positive experiences following the THM application to prevent and treat the umbilical cord inflammations [ 6 ]. The promising effects of THM also have been indicated among women in improving the nipple sore and perineal ulcer [ 7 , 8 ].…”