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Auricular Therapy and Basic Care for Blocked Milk Ducts After Cesarean Delivery
Sponsor: University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City
Summary
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.
Official title: Effectiveness of Auricular Acupressure Combined With Basic Care for Blocked Milk Ducts After Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
FEMALE
Age Range
18 Years - 40 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
72
Start Date
2026-05-01
Completion Date
2026-06-01
Last Updated
2026-06-26
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
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.
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.
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.
Locations (1)
Department of Obstetrics, Le Van Thinh Hospital
Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam