The Effect of Fennel Syrup on Prolactin Levels of Blood Serum in Newly Delivered Mothers: A Triple-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Breastfeeding failure jaundice (Icterus) occurs within the first week of life in breastfeeding newborns. Dehydration and insufficient intake calorie by the newborn are two main factors that affect the development of jaundice Prolactin is essential for the production and continued breastfeeding of mothers. In Iran's traditional medicine, a large number of herbal plants including fennel have been named in order to increase lactation. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the effect of fennel on prolactin levels of newly delivered mothers. Design: This was a randomized, controlled, triple-blind trial with one-to-one allocation into two groups. Setting: This study was conducted at the Social Security Hospital in Hamadan, IRAN. Participants: Participants included women who give vaginal delivery within 24 hours prior at the maternity hospital, with singleton infants, who weight had above 2500 grams, ≥37 weeks for gestational age, without any risk factors such as hemolysis, sepsis, asphyxia, jaundice in her newborns. Method: Sixty nine pairs of mother and baby were randomly assigned into intervention (n=35) and control (n=34) groups. Mothers in the intervention group received 3 grams of fennel daily and those in the control group received a placebo. Mother prolactin levels on the first day and 15 days after administration of fennel and placebo was measured with the ELISA device by the research assistant who was blinded to the type of group. SPSS software (version 13) was used to analyze the data. The newborns’ transcutaneous bilirubinand weight was measured in both groups on days 1،5,10، and 15 of the treatment through a bilirubin test carried out by a research assistant blind to the group assignments Results: At the beginning of the study, the average of mother prolactin level in the two groups was different, but this difference was not significant. After 15 days of intervention, prolactin level in the intervention and control groups increased compared to its initial value at the beginning of the study and this difference was significant. But after adjusting the amount of prolactin in the 15th day based on the first prolactin, there was no significant difference between the prolactin mean of two groups The mean transcutaneous bilirubin levels were found to be equal in the two groups and the variable of time reduced bilirubin levels effectively in both groups. Given that bilirubin was adjusted at baseline, the mean bilirubin levels were not significantly different between the two groups on day 15 of the treatment

Conclusion: These finding indicate the use of fennel syrup by mothers for 15 days has no effect on the prolactin level of mother. Although the increase of prolactin levels has been observed in other studies, the effect of fennel syrup on prolactin levels has not been confirmed in the early 15th days after delivery. Despite the popular belief that fennel can help treat jaundice, the administration of fennel syrup to breastfeeding mothers did not lead to a significant reduction in transcutaneous bilirubin levels in the full-term newborns in the intervention group compared to in the placebo group. Fennel is therefore not recommended as a helpful solution for the prevention or treatment of jaundice.