ArticleInternational breastfeeding journal2025
Validity of an ion selective electrode for measuring human milk sodium and potassium ion levels at point-of-care in lactating mothers with inflammatory breast conditions.
Article in International breastfeeding journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Mothers' milk Na without Na:K ratio detects secretory activation in mothers of preterm infants.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Breast Milk Expression Frequency and Production, Na Concentrations and Na:K Ratios in the First 4 Weeks After Preterm Birth.Nutrients · 2026Article
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
backgroundElevated human milk sodium (Na+) levels and Na+ to potassium (K+) ratios are commonly used in research to define breast inflammation in lactating mothers. Portable Na+ and K+ ion selective electrode probes (ISEPs) allow for immediate point-of-care testing by clinicians, potentially accelerating diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast (ICLB). We determined validity of ISEPs compared to the reference method inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in mothers with ICLB, and acceptability of ISEP point-of-care testing of mothers tested with clinical ICLB symptoms.
methodsHuman milk samples were collected from 43 mothers with ICLB, between December 2021 and September 2022. Mothers were recruited from private physiotherapy practices, a public women's hospital, and the local community, in Melbourne, Australia. Human milk Na+, K+ and Na+:K+ ratio levels were tested at point-of-care (ISEPs), and later, in the laboratory (ICP-OES). Adjusted limits of agreement with Bland-Altman plots compared the two measurement methods, with rank linear mixed effects models establishing their relationship. Mother's ISEP acceptability was assessed via two survey questions (0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS) and open text response) and analysed via descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
resultsAdjusted limits of agreement (lower limit mean (95% CI) to upper limit mean (95% CI)) between the two measurement methods were: -6.12 (-7.75, -4.49) to 6.12 (4.49, 7.75) mM for Na+; 7.37 (5.82, 9.47) to 25.6 (23.5, 27.7) mM for K+; and -0.82 (-0.85, -0.79) to 0.80 (0.77, 0.82) mM for Na+:K+ ratio. For Na+:K+ ratio, 100% of values fell within the limits of agreement. For Na+ and Na+:K+ ratio, ISEPs and ICP-OES shared a substantial amount of variability (Na+: conditional R
conclusionsPoint-of-care human milk ISEP Na+:K+ ratio measurement in mothers with ICLB is valid and is rated as a highly acceptable clinical assessment tool by mothers with ICLB.
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.