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Auricular Therapy and Basic Care for Blocked Milk Ducts After Cesarean Delivery

24 juin 2026 mis à jour par: Le Lam My Duyen, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Effectiveness of Auricular Acupressure Combined With Basic Care for Blocked Milk Ducts After Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether auricular acupressure combined with basic care can improve symptoms in postpartum women with blocked milk ducts after cesarean delivery. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does auricular acupressure combined with basic care reduce breast pain more effectively than basic care alone?
  • Does the combined approach improve the severity of milk duct blockage compared with basic care alone?
  • What adverse effects may occur in participants receiving auricular acupressure? Researchers will compare auricular acupressure combined with basic care to sham auricular acupressure plus basic care to determine whether the intervention provides additional benefits.

Participants will:

  • Receive auricular acupressure (or sham auricular acupressure at non-therapeutic ear points) for 3 days.
  • Be instructed to perform basic breast care under the supervision of midwives three times daily for 3 days.
  • Record daily activities in monitoring forms, including breastfeeding times, and whether they performed warm compresses and breast massage.

Aperçu de l'étude

Statut

Complété

Les conditions

Intervention / Traitement

Description détaillée

This randomized, single-blind, controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of auricular acupressure combined with basic breast care in postpartum women with blocked milk ducts following cesarean delivery.

Participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (auricular acupressure plus basic breast care) or the control group (sham auricular acupressure plus basic breast care). Auricular acupressure will be applied using semi-permanent auricular pellets at therapeutic ear acupoints on the ear ipsilateral to the affected breast, while the control group will receive sham intervention at non-therapeutic points. Both groups will receive standardized basic breast care, including frequent breastfeeding or milk expression, breast massage during feeding, and warm compresses before feeding.

The intervention will be administered over 3 consecutive days. Participants will be instructed and supervised by trained midwives and will perform self-care during the study period. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and daily during the intervention period.

The primary outcome is the change in breast pain score measured by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary outcomes include changes in the severity of blocked milk ducts, use of rescue analgesic medication, and incidence of adverse events.

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of auricular acupressure combined with basic breast care in postpartum women with blocked milk ducts following cesarean delivery. The sample size was calculated based on the primary outcome of pain intensity measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). A between-group difference of 1.8 NRS points was considered clinically meaningful. Using a two-sided significance level of 0.05, a power of 80%, and an estimated standard deviation of 2.56, the minimum required sample size was 32 participants per group. After allowing for an anticipated attrition rate of 10%, a total of 72 participants were recruited and randomized equally to the intervention group (n = 36) and the control group (n = 36).

Type d'étude

Interventionnel

Inscription (Réel)

72

Phase

  • N'est pas applicable

Contacts et emplacements

Cette section fournit les coordonnées de ceux qui mènent l'étude et des informations sur le lieu où cette étude est menée.

Lieux d'étude

  • Viêt Nam
    • Ho Chi Minh City
      • Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Viêt Nam
        • Department of Obstetrics, Le Van Thinh Hospital

Critères de participation

Les chercheurs recherchent des personnes qui correspondent à une certaine description, appelée critères d'éligibilité. Certains exemples de ces critères sont l'état de santé général d'une personne ou des traitements antérieurs.

Critère d'éligibilité

Âges éligibles pour étudier

  • Adulte

Accepte les volontaires sains

Non

La description

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Postpartum women aged 18-40 years who have undergone cesarean delivery and are hospitalized in the obstetrics department.
  • At least 24 hours after cesarean delivery.
  • Diagnosed with uncomplicated blocked milk ducts based on clinical signs, including localized breast pain and engorgement, a palpable localized firm mass, and reduced or interrupted milk flow.
  • Absence of systemic signs of infection (e.g., fever ≥38.5°C, chills, or severe fatigue) and no evidence of breast abscess.
  • Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score ≥ 4.
  • Gestational age ≥ 37 weeks, with a healthy newborn without abnormalities.
  • Willing and able to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded:

  • Clinical signs of mastitis, breast abscess, or breast infection.
  • Underlying medical conditions that may affect lactation, such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, or chronic liver or kidney disease.
  • Known allergy or hypersensitivity to materials used in auricular acupressure or components of basic breast care.
  • Severe psychiatric or cognitive conditions that may impair the ability to follow study procedures.
  • Inability or unwillingness to comply with the study protocol.

Plan d'étude

Cette section fournit des détails sur le plan d'étude, y compris la façon dont l'étude est conçue et ce que l'étude mesure.

Comment l'étude est-elle conçue ?

Détails de conception

  • Objectif principal: Traitement
  • Répartition: Randomisé
  • Modèle interventionnel: Affectation parallèle
  • Masquage: Seul

Armes et Interventions

Groupe de participants / Bras
Intervention / Traitement
Expérimental: Auricular Acupressure + Basic Care
In addition to standard basic breast care, participants will receive ear acupressure treatment using ear acupressure beads applied to therapeutic points on the ear corresponding to the affected breast, for three consecutive days.
Procédure: Auricular Acupressure
Auricular acupressure involves stimulation of specific ear acupoints corresponding to body organs. In this study, semi-permanent auricular needles (auricular pellets) will be applied to 4 therapeutic acupoints: Breast AH11, Shenmen TF4, Endocrine CO18, Central Rim AT2-4 on the ear ipsilateral to the affected breast. Needles will be retained for 3 days to provide continuous stimulation. Participants will be prompted to gently press the points 3 times daily. All procedures will be performed by a licensed traditional medicine physician following standardized protocols.
Autres noms:
  • Acupression oreille
  • Auricular Therapy
  • Auricular Pellets
Comportemental: Basic Breast Care
Standardized basic breast care includes frequent breastfeeding (at least 8 times per day or milk expression if needed), gentle breast massage during feeding, and warm compresses (40-42°C for 10 minutes before feeding). Participants will be instructed and supervised by trained midwives three times daily and perform self-care at other times. Adherence will be recorded using monitoring forms.
Autres noms:
  • Soins standards
  • Breast Care
Comparateur factice: Sham Auricular Acupressure + Basic Care
Participants will receive sham auricular acupressure using auricular pellets applied to non-therapeutic ear points, along with the same standardized basic breast care, for 3 consecutive days.
Comportemental: Basic Breast Care
Standardized basic breast care includes frequent breastfeeding (at least 8 times per day or milk expression if needed), gentle breast massage during feeding, and warm compresses (40-42°C for 10 minutes before feeding). Participants will be instructed and supervised by trained midwives three times daily and perform self-care at other times. Adherence will be recorded using monitoring forms.
Autres noms:
  • Soins standards
  • Breast Care
Procédure: Sham Auricular Acupressure
Sham auricular acupressure will be performed using semi-permanent auricular needles applied to 4 non-therapeutic ear points: Wrist SF2, Jaw LO3, Urethra HX3, Outer Nose TF1-2) unrelated to the pathophysiology of blocked milk ducts. The procedure, duration (3 days), and participant instructions will be identical to the active intervention to maintain blinding. All procedures will be performed by a licensed traditional medicine physician.
Autres noms:
  • Acupression de l'oreille simulée
  • Placebo Auricular Acupressure

Que mesure l'étude ?

Principaux critères de jugement

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Change in breast pain score (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS)
Délai: From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3), assessed daily at 9:00 AM
Breast pain will be assessed using a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst possible pain. Participants will be interviewed by investigators at each assessment point.
From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3), assessed daily at 9:00 AM

Mesures de résultats secondaires

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Severity of blocked milk ducts
Délai: From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3), assessed daily

Severity will be assessed based on the number and size of palpable breast lumps. The largest diameter (cm) will be measured, and severity will be classified into 5 levels:

0 = no lump;

  1. = one lump <3 cm;
  2. = one lump 3-<5 cm;
  3. = one lump ≥5 cm;
  4. = multiple lumps.
From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3), assessed daily
Amount of rescue analgesic use (paracetamol)
Délai: From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3)
Participants may use paracetamol 500 mg when NRS ≥7, with a maximum dose of 3 tablets per day. The number of tablets used will be recorded.
From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3)
Incidence of adverse events related to the intervention
Délai: From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3) and at any time during the study period.
All adverse events (e.g., allergic reactions, ear infection, syncope) will be recorded throughout the study period.
From baseline (T0) to Day 3 after intervention (T3) and at any time during the study period.

Collaborateurs et enquêteurs

C'est ici que vous trouverez les personnes et les organisations impliquées dans cette étude.

Parrainer

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

Publications et liens utiles

La personne responsable de la saisie des informations sur l'étude fournit volontairement ces publications. Il peut s'agir de tout ce qui concerne l'étude.

Publications générales

Liens utiles

Dates d'enregistrement des études

Ces dates suivent la progression des dossiers d'étude et des soumissions de résultats sommaires à ClinicalTrials.gov. Les dossiers d'étude et les résultats rapportés sont examinés par la Bibliothèque nationale de médecine (NLM) pour s'assurer qu'ils répondent à des normes de contrôle de qualité spécifiques avant d'être publiés sur le site Web public.

Dates principales de l'étude

Début de l'étude (Réel)

1 mai 2026

Achèvement primaire (Réel)

30 mai 2026

Achèvement de l'étude (Réel)

1 juin 2026

Dates d'inscription aux études

Première soumission

26 avril 2026

Première soumission répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

26 avril 2026

Première publication (Réel)

1 mai 2026

Mises à jour des dossiers d'étude

Dernière mise à jour publiée (Réel)

26 juin 2026

Dernière mise à jour soumise répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

24 juin 2026

Dernière vérification

1 avril 2026

Plus d'information

Termes liés à cette étude

Termes MeSH pertinents supplémentaires

Autres numéros d'identification d'étude

  • 607/DHYD-HDDD

Informations sur les médicaments et les dispositifs, documents d'étude

Étudie un produit pharmaceutique réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Étudie un produit d'appareil réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Ces informations ont été extraites directement du site Web clinicaltrials.gov sans aucune modification. Si vous avez des demandes de modification, de suppression ou de mise à jour des détails de votre étude, veuillez contacter register@clinicaltrials.gov. Dès qu'un changement est mis en œuvre sur clinicaltrials.gov, il sera également mis à jour automatiquement sur notre site Web .

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