Postpartum Complication
Conditions
Keywords
Female, Shoulder, Breastfeeding, Scapula, Posture, Postpartum period
Brief summary
This study aims to compare the effects of scapular posterior tilt exercises and cross-body stretching on breastfeeding efficiency, latch quality, and posture in postpartum women with rounded shoulders.
Detailed description
This randomized clinical study will include 30 postpartum women (2 weeks to 6 months postpartum) who will meet the inclusion criteria for rounded shoulders and will be actively breastfeeding. The study will be conducted at Sheik Zaid Hospital and will include multiparous women. Participants will be randomly allocated into two intervention groups: Group A, which will perform scapular posterior tilt exercises, and Group B, which will engage in cross-body stretching exercises. Both groups will undergo their respective intervention protocols three times per week over a period of four weeks. All participants will receive standardized ergonomic education focused on proper breastfeeding posture. The tools that will be used for assessment include the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BBAT) for latch quality, the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES) for breastfeeding efficiency, and a posture analysis using the AI Posture Evaluation and Correction System (APECS). Assessments will be conducted before and after the intervention. Data will be entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16.
Interventions
OTHERCross-Body Stretching
3 sessions per week, Duration: 20-30 minutes per session. for 6 weeks
OTHERScapular Posterior Tilt exercises
* 3 sessions per week * Duration: 20-30 minutes per session * Total duration: 6 weeks
Sponsors
Riphah International University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
20 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Mutiparous females. * previous cesarean section deliveries * Postpartum women between 2 weeks and 6 months postpartum. * Experiencing shoulder discomfort or poor posture
Exclusion criteria
* History of recent trauma or surgery such a Arthroscopy for Impingement Syndrome, Shoulder Replacement that affecting the shoulder complex. * Mother with history of breast cancer and hepatitis * History of shoulder surgery, trauma, or musculoskeletal disorders affecting the upper back/shoulder (Trapezius muscles train, Levator scapulae and rhomboid overuse) * Severe postnatal complications (e.g., mastitis, postpartum depression, uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BREASTFEEDING SELF EFFICACY SCALE: | 6th week | The BSES-SF was a 14-item self-administered instrument derived from the original 33-item BSES that measured breastfeeding confidence. All items were preceded by the phrase "I can always" and were rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (always confident). Total scores ranged from 14 to 70, with higher scores reflecting more significant levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy. |
| Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool: | 6th week | Jenny Ingram developed this tool in 2022; Cronbach's alpha value was found to be 0.77. The scale is a Likert-type scale comprising the 4 items of "positioning," "holding," "sucking" and "swallowing." Each item is scored between 0- 2 points. The lowest possible score on the scale is 0, the highest is 8. Lower scores indicate that the breastfeeding is not successful, the higher scores signify successful breastfeedin |
| APESC: | 6th week | The APECS mobile app uses photo-based posture analysis and scores alignment across body segments using virtual markers. It has excellent reliability, with inter-rater ICCs above 0.90 for most measures and strong intra-rater consistency. Its validity is supported by its ability to detect postural differences between groups |
Countries
Pakistan
Contacts
CONTACTimran amjad
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORhina gul, PhD*
Riphah International University
Outcome results
None listed