Title

Cold cabbage application and postnatal mothers' perceptions of breast engorgement: A mixed method study

Authors

P. Christena^1,*, V. Elizebeth Rani², S. Pushpa³ & J. Banusri⁴

Affiliation

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Deemed to be University, Puducherry & KMC College of Nursing, Trichy, India; ²Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, VHS-M.A.Chidambaram College of Nursing, Chennai, India; ³Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Nursing, Perambalur, India; ⁴Department of Nursing, KMC College of Nursing, Trichy, India; *Corresponding author

Email

P. Christena - E - mail: christenapillai@gmail.com
V. Elizebeth Rani - E - mail: elsam82@ymail.com
S. Pushpa - E - mail: pselva113@gmail.com
J. Banusri - E - mail: banusrijkims2019@gmail.com

Article Type

Research Article

Date

Received December 1, 2024; Revised December 31, 2024; Accepted December 31, 2024, Published December 31, 2024

Abstract

A study explored the effectiveness of cold cabbage leaf application in reducing pain and engorgement among postnatal mothers using a mixed-methods approach with 40 participants. The treatment involved applying cold cabbage leaves for 30 minutes, three times a day for three days, which resulted in significant reductions in both pain (from 4.9 to 2.9) and engorgement (from 4.45 to 2.8) at p < 0.001. Qualitative interviews with 10 mothers revealed that many felt relief from pain and swelling and appreciated the simplicity, affordability, and natural aspects of the remedy. However, some mothers experienced discomfort from the coldness and difficulty keeping the cabbage leaves in place. Despite these challenges, the majority were satisfied with the treatment and preferred it over medications. The study suggests that cabbage leaf application is an effective, low-cost solution for managing breast engorgement, with potential benefits for breastfeeding, although future research could focus on improving practical application and providing clearer instructions.

Keywords

Breast engorgement, cold cabbage leaves, postnatal mothers, breastfeeding, natural remedy, quasi-experimental study

Citation

Christena et al. Bioinformation 20(12): 2034-2039 (2024)

Edited by

P Kangueane

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics

License

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.