Around 30 to 90 percent of all breastfeeding women suffer from painful and sore nipple lesions. Reasons for these lesions are still not completely clarified. Nevertheless, irrespective of the underlying cause, these painful nipple lesions lead to an early stop of breastfeeding, which has negative consequences for the infant as well as for the mother. Even if the painful nipple lesions do not lead to a weaning of the baby, they cause an increased psychological distress for the mother and therefore may negatively influence the mother-child relationship. Since breastfeeding is the natural and best possible type of nutrition for healthy, full term babies problems causing an early stop of breastfeeding should be addressed. The low-level laser therapy (LLLT) represents a simple and low risk treatment to change (reduce) pain and accelerate wound healing. It is supposed to improve tissue organization and should have a positive anti-inflammatory and immune modulating effect. Therefore, this therapy is more and more frequently used to also treat painful nipple lesions, although hardly any studies have been conducted. Furthermore, in women with too little mother milk, the LLLT seems to increase the milk production. The aim of this study is to investigate the positive effects of LLLT on painful and sore nipple lesions. This would justify a LLLT for women with painful nipple lesions on a wider scale, with the overall goal to reduce early stopping of breastfeeding and therefore having a positive impact on both, the child's health as well as the mother's wellbeing.
This study is conducted at the department of obstetrics of the University hospital of Zurich. 194 breastfeeding or expressing participants with sore and painful nipple lesions who fulfill the inclusion criteria are included in this study. If the participant meets any exclusion criteria she is excluded from this study. After being enrolled in the study, the participant is randomized to get either 3 low-level laser therapy (LLLT) treatments or 3 placebo treatments within 1 to 3 days. Women having signed the declaration of consent and fulfill all inclusion criteria are then examined by a breastfeeding consultant. During this examination nipple lesions are classified into four different stages, causes for the lesions are evaluated and the nipple form is recorded. A swab of the milk is taken to rule out a pathogenetic colonization with germs. Then a blood sample is collected to analyze inflammatory parameters (C-reactive protein (CRP), leucocyte (Lc)), inflammation modulators (interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)) and the lactating hormone (prolactin). The taking of blood is repeated at the end of the third therapy. In the beginning and at the end of the last treatment, nipple lesions are classified and photographically documented. Specific instructions regarding the correct positioning and removal of the baby at the breast as well as breastfeeding positions are given to the women before starting the treatment. Women then breastfeed their baby once before and once after the entire therapy. Two hours after breastfeeding, the amount of milk is being measured after 15 minutes of pumping. Additionally, the sensation of pain is evaluated on the basis of a visual analog scale (VAS) from 1-10 and the satisfaction of the treatment is recorded before and after every single treatment. At the end of the last therapy, a final examination is conducted. For the statistical analysis of the primary and secondary endpoints a proportional odds model is used.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
96
The low-level laser emits monochromatic, coherent, bundled laser light. In each therapy a energy dose of 2-4 Joul (J) / centimeter (cm)\^2 is applied over a duration of about 30 seconds using level 1 (20 percent of maximum output) of the 350 milliwatt (mW) device.
The intervention is conducted identically to the low-level laser therapy but the placebo laser that is used emits only red light that is polychromatic, leading to a reduction in energy being emitted and therewith to no or a smaller effect.
University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
Pain Reduction: visual pain scale from 1 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain)
The primary goal is to evaluate the pain change with the help of a visual pain scale form 1 to 10 (0 = no pain; 10 = worst pain).
Time frame: though individual study completion, an average of 3 days
Wound Healing
One secondary goal is to evaluate the effect of the low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on wound healing. For this evaluation the nipple lesions are staged from 1-4 and photo documented and inflammatory markers (C reactive protein (CRP) and leucocytes (Lc)) and modulators (interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) are analyzed in the blood.
Time frame: though individual study completion, an average of 3 days
Milk Production
Another secondary goal is to evaluate the effect of the low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on milk production. This is done through measuring the milk production after 15 minutes pumping of both breasts and analyzing the prolactin in the blood.
Time frame: though individual study completion, an average of 3 days
Satisfaction with the low-level laser therapy (LLLT): visual analogue scale from 1 (low satisfaction) to 10 (highest satisfaction)
An additional secondary goal is to evaluate the participants' degree of satisfaction with the LLLT. This is accomplished with the help of a visual analogue scaled.
Time frame: though individual study completion, an average of 3 days
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