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Review

Lanolin

No authors listed
In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006.
.
Free Books & Documents
Review

Lanolin

No authors listed.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Lanolin is a yellow fat obtained from sheep's wool. It has traditionally been used topically to treat sore, cracked nipples during breastfeeding. Highly purified lanolin products (e.g., HPA lanolin, Lansinoh) have the pesticide and detergent residues removed and the natural free alcohols reduced to below 1.5% to improve safety and reduce the allergic potential.[1] However, even highly-purified lanolin should be avoided in patients with a known allergy to wool.

Lanolin appears to be effective for the prevention and treatment of nipple pain during breastfeeding,[2] but not as a preventative initiated before delivery.[3] Studies, most of which used Lansinoh, have not found lanolin to be consistently different in efficacy from application of breastmilk, hydrogel dressings, peppermint gel, aloe vera or warm compresses.[4-11] A meta-analysis concluded that application of nothing or breastmilk may be superior to lanolin, but good studies are lacking.[12] One small nonblinded study found olive oil to be superior to lanolin for prevention of sore nipples,[13] and another small, single-blinded study found that lanolin application to painful nipples did not decrease nipple pain compared to usual care.[14] A study in women with nipple trauma and pain comparing application of lanolin after each feeding to application of breastmilk plus a nipple shell found that the breastmilk and shell were more effective than lanolin.[15] A randomized study comparing highly purified lanolin (Lansinoh) to expressed breastmilk in 180 mothers, found lanolin to be superior to breastmilk over a 7-day period in reducing pain and the nipple trauma score. Two studies of moderate quality found aloe vera and purslane to be more effective than lanolin in treating sore nipples during breastfeeding.[16]

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References

    1. Mohammadzadeh A, Farhat A, Esmaeily H. The effect of breast milk and lanolin on sore nipples. Saudi Med J. 2005;26:1231–1234. - PubMed
    1. Vieira F, Bachion MM, Mota DD, et al. A systematic review of the interventions for nipple trauma in breastfeeding mothers. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2013;45:116–125. - PubMed
    1. Oliveira FS, Vieira F, Guimarães JV, et al. Lanolin and prenatal health education for prevention of nipple pain and trauma: Randomized clinical trial. Enferm Clin [Engl Ed] 2021;31:82–90. - PubMed
    1. Morland-Schultz K, Hill PD. Prevention of and therapies for nipple pain: A systematic review. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2005;34:428–437. - PubMed
    1. Melli MS, Rashidi MR, Nokhoodchi A, et al. A randomized trial of peppermint gel, lanolin ointment, and placebo gel to prevent nipple crack in primiparous breastfeeding women. Med Sci Monit. 2007;13:CR406–CR411. - PubMed

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