Chamomile reveals to be a potent galactogogue: the unexpected effect

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018 Jan;31(1):116-118. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2016.1274300. Epub 2017 Apr 10. . Silva FV1,2, Dias F3,4,5, Costa G1,6, Campos MDG1,2. Author information 1 a Pharmacognosy , Faculdade de Farmácia Universidade de Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal. 2 b Observatory of Herb-Drug Interactions/Faculty of Pharmacy & CQ - Centre of Chemistry - Coimbra , University of Coimbra, Polo III , Coimbra , Portugal. 3 c Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group , IPO-Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto (IPO-Porto) , Porto , Portugal. 4 d ICBAS, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal. 5 e Research Department , Portuguese League Against Cancer (NR Norte) , Porto , Portugal. 6 f Center for Neurosciences and cell Biology, University of Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal. Abstract Good habits of breastfeeding have been associated with many long-term health benefits. Nowadays, improvement is seen in the health of children and mothers who practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. The search of new potent stimulants for milk production is important to promote lactation, mainly in cases where breastfeeding is a difficult task. This report presents a case of a woman who accidentally realized an abundant amount of milk and had high breast tension, a few hours after consuming chamomile. Although usual consumption of chamomile during pregnancy and lactation are documented for several purposes, the galactogogue effect was never reported. In this case report, we document for the first time the influence of chamomile in a lactating woman by increasing lactogenesis. This article also highlights the need of more research in this field to assure the safety of the intake, by women, of herbal product without the risk for them or the newborns. KEYWORDS: Galactogogue; breastfeeding promotion; herbs; lactogenesis PMID: 28000519 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2016.1274300