Despite the care provided, some newborns, who are perfectly healthy, show functional alterations that impair a good breast attack in the first few days. This situation often leads to the early failure of lactation. We conducted a randomized single-blind controlled trial to evaluate whether four weeks of osteopathic treatment can normalize the sucking score in a group of neonates with impaired lactation ability. Forty-two healthy full-term neonates were enrolled in this study. On the basis of the sucking score and the assessment of the infant’s breastfeeding skills, infants who had intrinsic breastfeeding difficulties were selected. The inclusion criteria were healthy infants born > 37 weeks, a suction score ≤ 6, and any breast milk at enrolment. At the end of the study, the sucking score was significantly greater in the osteopathic group than in the untreated group; the median sucking score in the treated group was in the normal range, while it remained lower in the untreated group. At the end of the follow-up, the percentage of exclusively breastfeeding infants in the treatment group increased by +25%. This pilot study demonstrates the efficacy of early osteopathic intervention to relieve breastfeeding difficulties in newborns in the first few weeks of life.

....At the end of this pilot study, the treated group showed an improvement in the sucking score and a greater reduction in the osteopathic score than the untreated group (p < 0.001). ...

Conclusions

This study is different from previous ones, especially due to the precocity of the intervention and the setting within a BFH hospital sucking score, as a marker of sucking impairment is also a novelty. In conclusion, this pilot study explores the impact of an early functional osteopathic therapy, started in the first week of life, on sucking problems related to breastfeeding in healthy infants.