Manshanden T M Nicole, Prime Danielle K, Scheele Fedde, Velzel Joost
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, Netherlands.
Research and Development, Medela AG, Baar, Switzerland.
Front Glob Womens Health. 2024 Apr 19;5:1378263. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2024.1378263. eCollection 2024.
This study aimed to assess if the implementation of a gentle transition of vacuum mode into a breast pump suction pattern commonly used to initiate milk production would improve user comfort while expressing during the first four days postpartum.
This prospective study was conducted at OLVG hospital in the Netherlands in two sequential phases. Breastfeeding patients delivering >36 weeks gestation with an infant aged ≤96 h old and a clinical indication to express milk with a breast pump were recruited. Intervention group 1 ( = 40) used a hospital-grade electric breast pump with a standard breast pump suction pattern. Intervention group 2 used a hospital-grade electric breast pump with a modified breast pump suction pattern ( = 40). The primary outcome was an objective assessment of comfort as measured by participants' need to reduce vacuum level during the 20 min test session. Secondary outcomes included the total expression volume (ml) in 20 min pumping.
The study found that the primary outcome of comfort was significantly improved with the modified breast pump suction pattern compared to the standard pattern (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.6) with 86% vs. 67% of participants not needing to reduce applied vacuum levels. The amount of milk expressed did not differ significantly between phases (group 1: 7.6 ml (2.7-25.5 ml), group 2: 12.0 ml (1.2-31.5 ml), = 0.43).
This study is the first to demonstrate an improvement in user comfort driven by the implementation of gentle transitions in vacuum modes in a commonly used breast pump suction pattern. Research into this novel population combining both pumping and breastfeeding in the first days after birth offers new unique insights on the requirements of breast pump suction patterns.
Registered on clinical trials.gov NCT04619212. Date of registration November 6, 2020.
本研究旨在评估在产后头四天使用吸奶器时，将真空模式平稳过渡到常用于启动乳汁分泌的吸奶器抽吸模式是否能提高使用者的舒适度。
这项前瞻性研究在荷兰的OLVG医院分两个连续阶段进行。招募了孕周>36周、婴儿年龄≤96小时且有临床指征需用吸奶器挤奶的母乳喂养患者。干预组1（n = 40）使用具有标准吸奶器抽吸模式的医院级电动吸奶器。干预组2使用具有改良吸奶器抽吸模式的医院级电动吸奶器（n = 40）。主要结局是通过参与者在20分钟测试期间降低真空水平的需求来客观评估舒适度。次要结局包括20分钟抽吸的总挤奶量（毫升）。
研究发现，与标准模式相比，改良吸奶器抽吸模式显著提高了舒适度这一主要结局（比值比1.29，95%置信区间1.08至1.6），86%的参与者与67%的参与者相比无需降低所施加的真空水平。各阶段的挤奶量无显著差异（组1：7.6毫升（2.7 - 25.5毫升），组2：12.0毫升（1.2 - 31.5毫升），P = 0.43）。
本研究首次证明，在常用的吸奶器抽吸模式中采用平稳的真空模式过渡可提高使用者的舒适度。对这一在出生后第一天既进行吸奶又进行母乳喂养的新人群的研究，为吸奶器抽吸模式的要求提供了新的独特见解。
在clinicaltrials.gov上注册，注册号为NCT04619212。注册日期为2020年11月6日。
