Banana Stem and Prolactin: A Dietary Intervention for Postnatal Mothers
Keywords:
Banana stem, dietary intervention, blood prolactin level, lactation support, postnatal motherAbstract
Breastfeeding is accepted as the best food for newborn babies and it is recommended by many experts and organisations like WHO and UNICEF. Although breastfeeding is the ideal practice, numerous mothers fail to do due to lactation problems and insufficient breastmilk production is one among them. The current study aims to identify the effects of banana stem diet on blood prolactin levels (BPL) for the postnatal mothers and to assess their satisfaction level after the intervention with nursing care provided. Methods: The study included 100 postnatal mother who has undergone vaginal delivery. Quasi experimental study was adopted and selected only 4th-day postnatal mothers with lactation problem. Data was collected in two phases: first phase was screening and then follow by home visit and intervention was provided for one week. BPL was checked before and after the administration of the intervention. The experimental group receive standardised diet where as the control group receive a routine diet. Result: The study found that a banana stem-based diet significantly increased BPL in postnatal mothers. The experimental group has shown a greater significant compare to the control group with (t = 12.64, p < 0.001). These results support the effectiveness of banana stem as an effective dietary intervention to enhance lactation.
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