TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BREAST CAPS {BC} FOR MANAGEMENT OF BREAST ENGORGEMENT AMONG POSTNATAL MOTHERS IN SELECTED RURAL HOSPITALS: A PILOT STUDY

Breast Engorgement as the physiologic condition characterized by painful swelling of the breast associated with the sudden increase in milk volume. Lymphatic and the vascular congestion and interstitial oedema during the rst weeks following birth, if remain untreated leads to number of complications to mother during postnatal period such as breast abscess, inammation, soreness of nipples, pain and difculty in feeding. At the same time child will not able to get appropriate amount of breast milk and nd difculty in getting feed, leading to withdrawal of feeding, and not getting the benets of breast milk. Many literatures are available to manage Breast Engorgement in which pharmacological and non pharmacological methods are used. Hot and Cold compresses showed overall benets without having side effects. In home as well as hospital settings Hot Water Bag is many times used to give hot compress, but seeing the shape and contour of breast, hot water bag being at does not t to breast to give comfort to mother and also its rubber material cause irritation and allergic. Thus present research focus on development of Breast Caps and study its effectiveness for management of Breast Engorgement. Mrthodology: In this study quantitative research approach, Intervention study design, using simple random sampling techniques is used to allocate 15 samples in experimental and 15 in control group. Experimental group received application of Breast Caps having temperature 43-460F, 10 -15 minutes, three times a day for three consecutive days and control group received application of Hot Water Bag. Primary outcome is development of Breast Caps and secondary outcome was reduction in breast engorgement and pain level assess by using 6 point self rating breast engorgement scale(SPES) and visual analogue pain scale (VAS). Ethical approval was obtained by IEC,DMIMS(DU)/IEC/2020-21/8387. Results: Statistical analysis done by using descriptive and inferential statistics using chisquare test, student's paired and unpaired t test and p<0.05 is considered as level of signicance. Results shows that signicant changes in reduction of breast engorgement and level of pain after application of Breast Caps as compared to Hot Water Bag. Conclusion: Breast Caps can be comfortably and effectively used for management of Breast Engorgement in postnatal mothers. A large scale study is necessary to collect the evidence