Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41906357›Full record

ArticleJournal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association2026

The Effects of Therapeutic Ultrasound on Human Milk Composition: A Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post Design Study.

Leanda Jane McKenna, Kristin Eu, Renee McGregor, Stephanie Melanko, Aik Ping Tay, Patricia Gaunt, Ching Tat Lai, Donna Tracy Geddes, Angela Jacques, Adelle McArdle

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Leanda Jane McKennaCurtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3007-8231
Kristin EuCurtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Renee McGregorCurtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Stephanie MelankoCurtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Aik Ping TayCurtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Patricia GauntPhysiotherapy Department, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.
Ching Tat LaiThe University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9025-4922
Donna Tracy GeddesThe University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
Angela JacquesNotre Dame University, Fremantle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0461-681X
Adelle McArdleMonash University, Churchill, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8464-6479

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTherapeutic ultrasound generates heating within tissues and is a popular treatment option for inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast, but it is unknown if therapeutic ultrasound alters breastmilk composition. RESEARCH

aimThis study aimed to determine the effect of therapeutic ultrasound on the protein, lactose and fat concentrations of human milk in healthy lactating mothers.

methodThis was a single session quasi-experimental, non-superiority, pre-post design study. Twenty-six Western Australian mothers with infants aged 1-6 months and exclusively breastfeeding were included. Mothers with inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast or contraindicated from receiving therapeutic ultrasound, were excluded. Therapeutic ultrasound was applied for 10 minutes to the right breast and samples of 5 ml expressed human milk were collected pre and post ultrasound application. Protein, lactose, and fat concentrations were measured by the Bradford method, enzymatic spectroscopy, and creamatocrit. Statistical analysis included general linear mixed modelling.

resultsThere was no significant difference in human milk protein composition between measures taken pre and post ultrasound (mean difference, -0.64g/L; 95% CI [-1.93, 0.64],

conclusionTherapeutic ultrasound applied to the healthy lactating breast does not adversely affect the protein, lactose, or fat concentrations of human milk.

Indexed as

Milk, HumanUltrasonic TherapyAdultBreast FeedingFemaleHumansInfantLactationLactoseMilk ProteinsLactoseMilk Proteinsbreastfeedingexclusive breastfeedinghuman milk - biochemistrylactation managementmastitispre-post designtherapeutic ultrasoundtreatment

Identifiers

PMID41906357
PMCPMC13615316

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.