Dear Friends:

Early nipple soreness is best relieved by correcting positioning and latch;
while the products may soothe, the real cure is to fix the underlying
problem.

J Perinat Educ. 2004 Winter; 13(1): 29–35.
doi: 10.1624/105812404X109375.
PMCID: PMC1615851
Pain Reduction and Treatment of Sore Nipples in Nursing Mothers
Karin Cadwell, PhD, FAAN, RN, IBCLC, Cynthia Turner-Maffei, MA, IBCLC, Anna
Blair, PhD, CLC, Kajsa Brimdyr, PhD, and Zoë Maja McInerney, MA, CLC

Health-promotion goals include increasing the duration of breastfeeding
because of its irrefutable advantages to the mother and baby, society, and
the environment. However, many mothers experience painful, sore nipples
during breastfeeding and stop nursing before they intended (Livingstone &
Stringer, 1999). The experimental trial described in this paper randomized
94 breastfeeding women with sore nipples into three treatment groups.
Midwives practicing in hospitals in Latvia assessed the participants'
breastfeeding practices, then gave the mothers individualized education and
corrective interventions using a guided documentation form, the Lactation
Assessment Tool (LAT™). In addition, two groups were instructed to use
commercial products on their breasts and nipples: breast shells and lanolin
cream for one group, and glycerin gel therapy for the other. Nipple pain
during breastfeeding was rated by the mothers on a 5-point verbal descriptor
scale at each visit, and pain at the start of treatment was compared to pain
at the last visit. Analysis of variance (using Fisher's Exact Test)
determined that no significant differences existed between the groups: F(2,
86) = 1.34, p > .05. Almost all of the mothers experienced nipple healing,
as assessed by the midwife. Mothers in the glycerin gel group were more
satisfied with their treatment method, but this finding was not
statistically significant. The results of this study indicate that effective
care and perinatal education for nursing mothers with sore nipples should
include assessment of breastfeeding positioning and latch-on, as well as
education and corrective interventions using a guidance tool, whether or not
commercial preparations are used.
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Mary Ziemer, PhD, did research in the 90s showing that warm wet compresses
were most effective for pain relief; again, supporting that there is no need
to buy any product.
warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, BSN, Mother of 2, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI
craniosacral therapy practitioner
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com

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