A Clinical Study of Lactation Suppression

Abstract

Four methods of postpartum lactation suppression were evaluated in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial carried out with 353 primarily black, lower socioeconomic class patients. At days 3 and 4 of their hospital stay, patients fitted with a tight bra and treated with either Tace®, stilbestrol, or Deladumone® experienced significantly less breast tenderness and lactation than patients fitted with a tight bra and given an oral placebo. At day 4, Deladumone and stilbestrol appeared significantly better than Tace in these parameters. Five-week follow-up data indicated Deladumone to be associated with greater improvement in emotional distress and with greater estrogen deficiency than the other three methods. Estrogen-deficient patients, however, reported significantly less improvement in emotional distress than patients with an estrogen effect. Suggestions for further studies of lactation suppression are offered.