Management of breast engorgement after second-trimester abortion or loss: a survey of current practice patterns

Breast engorgement and milk leakage following second-trimester perinatal loss and abortion is common and can cause both physical pain and emotional distress.1 2 Currently, there is limited clinical guidance regarding counselling or available treatment modalities.3 Therefore, we aimed to characterise current practice patterns in anticipatory guidance and use of non-pharmacological or pharmacological therapies to manage symptomatic breast engorgement after second-trimester abortion or pregnancy loss.

We conducted a web-based, cross-sectional survey of reproductive healthcare professionals between August and October 2022.3 With the intention to target clinicians providing abortion care across the United States, we distributed the survey nationally to a sample of abortion care providers recruited via a digital Facebook member group (total members, N=234). To protect the anonymity of respondents, we collected limited demographic information regarding clinician demographic region and specialty training. We presented respondents with multiple statements regarding clinical experience managing breast…

Read the full article ›