Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of all participants and compared between the traditional and integrated breast massage groups
Characteristics | Total (N = 84) | Traditional Breast Massage (n = 42) | Integrated Breast Massage (n = 42) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years), median (IQR) | 34.0 (29.0–36.0) | 33.0 (29.0–36.0) | 34.0 (31.0–36.0) | 0.42 |
Milk expression method before onset of plugged duct, n (%) | ||||
Breastfeeding | 67 (79.8%) | 37 (88.1%) | 30 (71.4%) | 0.06 |
Hand expression | 11 (13.1%) | 2 (4.8%) | 9 (21.4%) | 0.02 |
Breast pump | 74 (88.1%) | 36 (85.7%) | 38 (90.5%) | 0.50 |
Time of onset prior to presentation at our clinic, n (%) | 0.29 | |||
≤ 24 h | 3 (3.6%) | 3 (7.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
25–48 h | 48 (57.1%) | 24 (57.1%) | 24 (57.1%) | |
49–72 h | 33 (39.3%) | 15 (35.7%) | 18 (42.9%) | |
More than 1 mass, n (%) | 13 (15.5%) | 4 (9.5%) | 9 (21.4%) | 0.35 |
Size of the largest mass (cm2), median (IQR) | 25.0 (16.0–42.0) | 20.0 (12.0–42.0) | 30.0 (20.0–48.25) | 0.045 |
NRS pain score before massage, median (IQR) | 8 (7–8) | 7 (5–8) | 8 (7.8–8) | < 0.01 |
Cracked nipples and/or nipple blebs, n (%) | 11 (13.1%) | 5 (11.9%) | 6 (14.3%) | 1.00 |