Effects of massage treatment combined with topical cactus and aloe on puerperal milk stasis

AIM: Puerperal milk stasis is one of the most common puerperal complication that directly affects breastfeeding. Massage treatment with topical cactus and aloe for puerperal milk stasis might be a superior treatment, and it does not affect breastfeeding. METHODS: The intervention group was treated with massages with cactus and aloe cold compresses, and the control group was treated with massage treatment or cactus and aloe cold compresses alone. We evaluated the efficacies of the treatments through comparisons of the feeding patterns, hardness, and pain after treatment between the three groups. RESULTS: We found that breastfeeding rates were significantly increased in the massage combine with combined with cactus and aloe cold compress group ( P< 0.05 for both). Breast hardness and pain were reduced to greater extents in massage combine with combined with cactus and aloe cold compress group than in the massage or cold compress group ( P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Massage treatment with topical cactus and aloe topical effectively improved the pain status, hard lump of puerperal milk stasis and increase breastfeeding rate.