The effect of Saqez (Pistacia atlantica) ointment on nipple fissure improvement in breastfeeding women during one-month follow-up

OBJECTIVE: Painful nipple fissure is a troublesome problem for breastfeeding mothers. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of saqez (Pistacia atlantica) ointment on the improvement of nipple fissure in breastfeeding women during one-month follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 100 eligible women who visited the selected health centers affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from July 2015 to December 2015 during their postpartum period. A total of 100 subjects were randomly divided into two equal groups of 50 women grouped as saqez ointment group and breast milk group, and followed-up for one month. Both groups received face-to-face instructions on breastfeeding techniques. For severity of nipple fissure, Storr scale and to measure the intensity of pain, visual analog scale (VAS) were used. RESULTS: The results showed that the two groups were matched in terms of demographic and obstetric characteristics. Mean of nipple fissure severity in ointment group (42.62) was lower than that of the control group (48.02), that was significantly different between the two groups (p=0.047). In addition, Mean nipple pain intensity in ointment group (40.57) was lower than that of the control group (49.81), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.056). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that saqez ointment was more effective than breast milk in healing and controlling nipple fissures during one-month follow-up, without resulting in any side effects.