SynthesisBreastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine2012
Systematic review of breastfeeding and herbs.
Synthesis in Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Herbal galactagogues to improve breastmilk production and lactation in mothers of preterm babies: a systematic review of clinical trials.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Oral galactagogues (natural therapies or drugs) for increasing breast milk production in mothers of non-hospitalised term infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- The impact of ChatGPT on preoperative anxiety and postoperative depression in cesarean section: a prospective randomized trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Trial
- Efficacy of Wang Nam Yen herbal tea on human milk production: A randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2022Trial
- Efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine Zengru Gao to promote breastfeeding: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2018Trial
- Use of Herbal Medicines Among Breastfeeding Mothers in Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Article
- Effect of Natural Chinese Herbal Supplements (TCMF4) on Lactation Performance and Serum Biomarkers in Peripartal Dairy Cows.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021Article
- Special foods and local herbs used to enhance breastmilk production in Ghana: rate of use and beliefs of efficacy.International breastfeeding journal · 2020Article
- Plants, food and treatments used by BaKongo tribes in Uíge (northern Angola) to affect the quality and quantity of human breast milk.International breastfeeding journal · 2020Article
- The prevalence, perceptions and behaviors associated with traditional/complementary medicine use by breastfeeding women living in Macau: a cross-sectional survey study.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2020Article
- The Sex-Gender Effects in the Road to Tailored Botanicals.Nutrients · 2019Review
- Herbal medicine use during breastfeeding: a cross-sectional study among mothers visiting public health facilities in the Western area of Sierra Leone.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2019Article
- The use of complementary and alternative medicines during breastfeeding: results from the Herbal supplements in Breastfeeding InvesTigation (HaBIT) study.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2018Article
- Maternal experiences with and sources of information on galactagogues to support lactation: a cross-sectional study.International journal of women's health · 2017Article
- Feasibility and Acceptability of Two Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Perceived Insufficient Milk in Mothers of Late Preterm and Early Term Infants.Alternative & complementary therapies : a new bimonthly publication for health care practitioners · 2016Article
- Infant and young child feeding practices differ by ethnicity of Vietnamese mothers.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2016Article
- The Use, Perceived Effectiveness and Safety of Herbal Galactagogues During Breastfeeding: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2015Article
- Herbal Therapies and Social-Health Policies: Indigenous Ati Negrito Women's Dilemma and Reproductive Healthcare Transitions in the Philippines.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2015Article
- Treatment of maternal hypergalactia.Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine · 2014Article
- Use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy and the postpartum period: an analysis of the National Health Interview Survey.Journal of women's health (2002) · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesDespite popular and historical use, there has been little modern research conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of herb use during breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the clinical literature on herbal medicine and lactation.
methodsThe databases PubMed, CAB Abstracts, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, HealthSTAR, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Reprotox were systematically searched for human trials from 1970 until 2010. Reference lists from relevant articles were hand-searched.
resultsThirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Clinical studies were divided into three categories: survey studies (n=11), safety studies (n=8), and efficacy studies (n=13). Six studies were randomized controlled trials. The most common herbs studied were St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) (n=3), garlic (Allium sativum L.) extract (n=2), and senna (Cassia senna L.) (n=2). Studies were very heterogeneous with regard to study design, herbal intervention, and outcome measures. Overall, poor methodological quality predominated among the studies.
conclusionsOur review concludes that further research is needed to assess the prevalence, efficacy, and safety of commonly used herbs during breastfeeding.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.