Is Cabbage safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Cabbage. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
No side effects have been reported after topical application of cabbage leaves to the breast. Maternal cabbage intake was studied as a possible cause of colic in breastfed infants. A questionnaire was sent to nursing mothers asking about food intake during the previous week and their infants' symptoms of colic during that time. Seventy-three mothers who reported colic in their infants during the prior week were 30% more likely to have eaten cabbage during this time than mothers of infants who did not have colic during the previous week. Additionally, many other mothers reported avoiding cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) because of previous symptoms of colic in their breastfed infants that they attributed to these foods.[ 5 ]
Effects on milk supply
In a randomized, nonblinded study, postpartum hospitalized women with breast engorgement during breastfeeding either applied refrigerated cabbage leaves to their breasts (n = 59) or received routine hospital care (n = 56). The women who used the cabbage leaves breastfed exclusively for slightly longer than those who did not (36 vs 30 days). At 6 weeks postpartum, there was no statistical difference in the percentage of women breastfeeding between the two groups The authors felt that any difference was most likely caused by psychological mechanisms in the mothers than the cabbage leaves.[ 3 ] This study suffered from a 20% loss to follow-up. A study investigated cabbage leaves at different temperatures in the treatment of breast engorgement in hospitalized postpartum women (n = 28). Each mother received chilled leaves to one breast and room temperature leaves to the other in a randomized order. Both treatments reduced perceived breast pain, but no difference was found between the chilled and room temperature cabbage leaves in reducing the pain of engorgement.[ 13 ] A study compared chilled cabbage leaves to cold gelpacks in the treatment of breast engorgement in hospitalized postpartum women (n = 33). Both had cutout areas around the nipple. Affected women applied a cabbage leaf to one breast and the gelpack to the other as needed at 2- to 4-hour intervals. There was no difference in the breast pain reduction between the cabbage leaves and gelpacks.[ 14 ] A randomized, double-blind study compared a cream containing cabbage extract (n = 21) to a placebo cream (n = 18) for treating breast engorgement. The cream was specially made for the study using a 1% cabbage extract according to the methods of the British Pharmacopoeia and the same cream base as the placebo. Mothers rated their pain and breast firmness, and a device was used by researchers to measure breast firmness. Both treatments improved all measured parameters, with no difference between the two treatments. Nu
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. A pilot study detected no sulforaphane, but did detect its metabolite, sulforaphane- N -acetylcysteine, in the milk of 7 of 8 mothers who had recently eaten a cruciferous vegetable, such as broccoli. The eighth mother reported low intake of cruciferous vegetables in the prior 24 hours.[ 11 ] A single oral dose of a broccoli sprout extract (EnduraCell) equivalent to 21 mg of sulforaphane, was administered to 8 women prior to cesarean section. Two to four days post-delivery, a second dose was administered. Two hours later, maternal blood and breastmilk were collected. Sulforaphane was detected in breastmilk in an average concentration of 1.33 mcg/L.[ 12 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.