Comparing the Efficacy of Breast Milk and Coconut Oil on Nipple Fissure and Breast Pain Intensity in Primiparous Mothers: A Single-Blind Clinical Trial.

Background: Nipple fissure is a prevalent problem for breastfeeding mothers. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is an herbal medicine that can heal microbial infections and wounds. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of VCO and breast milk on nipple fissures in primiparous mothers. Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: A single-blind clinical trial was conducted with 106 breastfeeding primiparous mothers suffering from nipple fissures in health centers of Zarand, Kerman, from August 2020 to November 2020. The participants were selected randomly and allocated to two 60-member groups using block randomization. Mothers in the first group were asked to apply 0.5 mL of coconut oil on their nipples three times a day. Mothers in the second group were trained to apply three to four drops of their milk on their nipples after every breastfeeding session. The level of nipple fissures and pain intensity were examined using Storr's scale and visual analog scale, respectively. The results were analyzed using the chi-square test, repeated measures analysis of variance, and the independent samples t-test in SPSS 22. In this study, the significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Within-group comparisons revealed a significant difference between baseline scores and the scores on the 7th and 14th days (p < 0.001). Between-group comparison indicated no significant difference in nipple fissure (p = 0.419) and pain intensity (p = 0.405) at baseline. Nonetheless, there was a significant difference on the 7th day (pfissure = 0.002, ppain <0.001) and on the 14th day (pfissure <0.001, ppain = 0.036). Conclusion: Given its effect on nipple fissures, VCO may be used as a complementary substance to treat nipple fissures. Trial Registration: This trial is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the identifier: IRCT20190724044318N1.

Hope therapy in cancer patients: a systematic review.

AIM: To identify the associated factors of hope therapy during treatment in cancer patients. BACKGROUND: Hope is very important to cancer patients at all stages of the disease process. Several and different factors are associated with hope. DESIGN: A systematic literature review of quantitative empirical studies on hope and quality of life in cancer patients. DATA SOURCES: Search in MEDLINE, Psychinfo, and Cochrane (January 2010-December 2020). REVIEW METHODS: A coherent search strategy was designed where MESH terms were combined with "free text" terms: hope (e.g., hope therapy, Herth Hope Index, quality of life) and cancer (e.g. neoplasm, tumor). Two authors independently screened all the studies and assessed their quality. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included. The overall score of Herth Hope Index in cancer patients was 36.93, and the overall score of quality of life in cancer patients were 47.52. Also, the trend of quality of life and Herth Hope Index in cancer patients has been decreasing, from 2010 to 2020. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic literature review of associated factors of hope in cancer patients receiving treatment shows that hope seems to be positively related mainly by intrinsic factors, such as perceived health, quality of life, and social support.