Effect of Consuming Date Palm Fruits on Uterine Involution and Breastfeeding among Postpartum Mothers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Nursing Sciences Department at Shaqra University, SKA, and Assistant Professor of Maternal and Newborn Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University, Egypt.

2 Assistant professor of Family and Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University, Egypt.

Abstract

Weak or absent uterine contractions after delivery cause many problems among postpartum
mothers. Date palm fruits include an oxytocin-like hormone that enhances uterine contractions and
promotes efficient involution. Moreover, dates have high nutritional value, which increases prolactin
levels and helps increase milk production. The research aimed to investigate the effect of consuming
date palm fruit on uterine involution and breastfeeding among postpartum mothers. Methods: A quasiexperimental design was employed at the postpartum unit and outpatient clinic of a university maternity
hospital in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt, involving a purposive sample of 120 postpartum women who
were assigned to the control and intervention groups (60 for each) and were followed up at home. Data
were collected using three tools: a self-reported questionnaire on sociodemographic traits and obstetric
profile, a uterine involution scale, and the breastfeeding sheet. The results revealed that the mean fundal
height was significantly lower in the intervention group (2.27±2.1) compared to the control group
(7.08±3.17). In addition, the breastfeeding frequency was increased ≥ 8 times by 100% in the
intervention group compared to 88.4% in the control group, with highly statistically significant
differences between both groups at p≤0.001. Conclusion: The postpartum mothers in the intervention
group had faster uterine involution and more milk production after receiving the date palm fruits
compared to the control group. Recommendation: Healthcare professionals should be aware of the
benefits of date palm fruit and recommend it for postpartum women to effectively enhance uterine
involution, prevent postpartum hemorrhage, and improve breast milk quality and quantity. 

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