ReviewOchsner journal2016
A Review of Herbal and Pharmaceutical Galactagogues for Breast-Feeding.
Review in Ochsner journal, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 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
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 97 citations in OpenAlex.
- 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
- Effect of a ginger-spiced millet-soya drink and breastfeeding education on prolactin levels and breast milk volumes in postpartum mothers in northern Ghana: a randomized controlled trial.International breastfeeding journal · 2025Trial
- The effect of orally consumed Lactuca sativa syrup on human milk volume and weight gain in the preterm infant: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Shatavari Supplementation in Postmenopausal Women Improves Handgrip Strength and IncreasesNutrients · 2021Trial
- Brain Metastatic Lung Cancer Patients: A Multitarget Therapeutic-Supportive Strategy with Anti-STAT3 Silibinin.NeuroSci · 2025Article
- Cultural Food Practices During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period Among African Migrant Women Living in Australia: A Qualitative Study.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2025Article
- Review
- Reasons, associated factors, and attitudes toward breastfeeding mothers' use of complementary medicine products: a study from Türkiye.International breastfeeding journal · 2025Article
- Comparative Study of Lactogenic Effect and Milk Nutritional Density of Oral Galactagogue in Female Rabbit.Current protein & peptide science · 2025Article
- Inducing Lactation in a Transgender Woman Without Galactagogues: A Case Report.Journal of general internal medicine · 2024Article
- A Survey of U.S. and Canadian Physicians' Clinical Practices Related to Pharmacologic, Herbal, and Nutritional Substances Used to Increase Milk Production.Clinical lactation (Amarillo, Tex.) · 2024Article
- Motherhood after Spinal Cord Injury: Breastfeeding, Autonomic Dysreflexia, and Psychosocial Health: Clinical Practice Guidelines.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Herbal Medicine for Postpartum Pain: A Systematic Review of Puerperal Wind Syndrome (Sanhupung).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Fatty Acid Transfer from Blood to Milk Is Disrupted in Mothers with Low Milk Production, Obesity, and Inflammation.The Journal of nutrition · 2023Article
- Article
- Investigation of the effect of metoclopramide on proliferation signal molecules in breast tissue.International journal of experimental pathology · 2022Article
- Comparative Assessment of Phytoconstituents, Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Analysis of Different Parts of Milk ThistleMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- The Earliest Food Deserts: Availability of Infant and Follow-on Formula, and Lactation Support Products among Stores in Black and Non-Hispanic White Zip Codes in Los Angeles County.Maternal and child health journal · 2022Article
- Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Infusions of Different Medicinal Plants for Use in Obstetrics.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTherapeutic approaches to addressing insufficient lactation are available but remain poorly understood. Current trends in maternal health, such as increasing rates of obesity, delayed age at childbearing, and high rates of cesarean section, may be associated with physiological challenges for lactation that cannot be managed by counseling alone. Women who have not had success with counseling alone, including adoptive mothers seeking to induce lactation, may use galactagogues (pharmaceutical and herbal compounds used to increase lactation). We present a review of selected studies of galactagogues and data indicating popular demand for such products.
methodsA systematic search was conducted for published studies on the use of galactagogues for breast-feeding. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE (PubMed), EBSCO (Academic Search Complete), and EMBASE. The search was conducted between July 15, 2015, and August 18, 2015; only English language articles were included, and we imposed no restrictions on publication date. Two authors independently reviewed the studies and extracted data.
resultsBlinded, placebo-controlled clinical trials of 2 pharmaceutical galactagogues (domperidone and metoclopramide) and 5 popular herbal galactagogues (shatavari, fenugreek, silymarin, garlic, and malunggay) were identified. All of the studies identified for domperidone showed a significant difference in milk production between the treatment and placebo groups. Of the 6 trials of metoclopramide, only 1 study showed a significant difference in milk production compared to placebo. Results of the clinical trials on herbal galactagogues were mixed. Our review of the evidence for the efficacy of popular pharmaceutical and herbal galactagogues revealed a dearth of high-quality clinical trials and mixed results.
conclusionHealth providers face the challenge of prescribing or recommending galactagogues without the benefit of robust evidence. Given the suboptimal rates of exclusive breast-feeding worldwide and the availability and demand for medical and herbal lactation therapies, controlled trials and analyses investigating these medicines are urgently warranted.
Indexed as
Identifiers
27999511PMC5158159W2579324783What 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.