At 06:59 PM 8/17/01 -0400, you wrote:
>I wonder if some of you would comment on the amount of time a day that
>cabbage leaves can be used to reduce edema without decreasing milk
>production.

We have discussed this before--anecdotally, not evidence based--and I have
expressed my opinion that cabbage leaves reduce edema in any body part by
lessening the fluid in the tissues. That doesn't include removing
breastmilk from milk ducts, just as it doesn't remove blood from blood
vessels in a swollen knee or ankle.

A woman with prolonged breast edema could have a reduced milk supply when
the edema was resolved, but it would be due to inadequate milk removal not
from cabbage leaves drawing milk from the breast. The low supply would
result from the lack of drainage of the breast. Therefore efficient feeding
or pumping needs to accompany any treatment for breast edema.

I don't know what one would search under to find the prior discussion. I
suppose a search under "cabbage leaves would do it." I expect you would get
many "hits."

My recommendation is to use the cabbage leaves for 2-3 days or until the
edema is resolved. Mother can remove them for a few hours to see if they
are still needed, as the resolution time is different for each woman. If
baby is feeding well at the breast the necessary time will be shorter than
if she isn't.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin



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