Background Alternative and complementary medicines are widely used to treat migraine headaches. This review aimed to determine the effectiveness of essential oils as an alternative treatment approach.
Methods A structured search was conducted to identify randomized trials comparing essential oils with a placebo for migraine headaches, using databases (MEDLINE and CENTRAL) to search for articles published between 1966 and 2021. We included trials involving adult males and females diagnosed with migraine headaches according to the International Headache Society. The outcomes included number of attacks, headache severity, associated symptoms, number of days of limited activity, headache duration, use of analgesics, and adverse effects. Seven trials were included with a total of 558 participants.
Results No difference was observed in the number of migraine headache attacks compared to placebo (mean difference [MD], -1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.31 to 0.64; I2=94%; P=0.190; four trials, 242 participants; moderate- quality evidence). There was no difference in this outcome between the essential oils treated group and the placebo (MD, -0.38; 95% CI, -1.76 to 0.99; I2 statistics=86%; P=0.580; five trials, 240 participants; moderate-quality evidence).
Conclusion We found no significant difference between the use of essential oils and placebo in managing migraine headaches.
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Use of aromatherapy for Migraine pain relief Yasmine Askeur, Selka Adil, Daliyahia Kamel Current Perspectives on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CUPMAP).2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Background Vitamin D may enhance immune system function and provide a protective effect against infections. Feto-maternal circulation plays an important role in supplying the developing fetus with nutrients and antibodies for its development and health during pregnancy and for its early years of life after birth. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of maternal vitamin D supplementation in preventing respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children.
Methods We searched the Central and MEDLINE databases and went through all the reference lists in the related articles. We also searched for ongoing trials at http://www.who.int/ictrp/en/ and www.clinicaltrials.gov. Randomized controlled trials comparing vitamin D supplementation with a placebo or no treatment in pregnant women published in the English language up to March 2019 were included. Two reviewers extracted data independently using a predefined protocol and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, with differences agreed upon by consensus. The predefined primary outcome was the number of offspring who had RTIs. The secondary outcome was the presence of measurable serum immunoglobulin E levels.
Results Three trials involving 3,224 participants (mother–child pairs) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The present analysis reported that maternal supplementation with vitamin D had no effect on RTIs among children (n=1,486 offspring; risk ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–1.11; random effects; I2 statistics, 0%).
Conclusion Maternal vitamin D supplementation had no effect on RTIs in children. Therefore, consideration of other prevention methods in this regard is recommended.
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Background Breastfeeding is recognized as the optimal form of nutrition for the physical and neurological development of infants and is considered the most significant way to prevent child mortality. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of metoclopramide for enhancing milk production in lactating women.
Methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and MEDLINE for randomized controlled trials comparing metoclopramide with a placebo, no treatment, or other galactagogue drugs. We included breastfeeding women with term or preterm infants.
Results We retrieved 164 records from our search of the electronic databases and 20 records from other sources. Eight trials involving 342 lactating women that used metoclopramide were included in this review after assessing the eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis of these trials revealed that metoclopramide did not increase the milk volume of the intervention groups compared to that of the control groups. There was a significant increase in the serum concentrations of prolactin when the mothers were administered metoclopramide. No significant adverse events were reported.
Conclusion Metoclopramide did not improve milk production in lactating women. Therefore, we do not recommend using metoclopramide to increase milk production in lactating women.
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We report a case of steroid withdrawal syndrome in a 74-year-old woman who was suspected of having an occult exogenous Cushing’s syndrome secondary to prolonged traditional complementary medicine use. She presented with non-specific symptoms of lethargy, malaise, and poor oral intake with weight loss for 1 month, and investigations showed suboptimal 9 AM cortisol level. She has responded well to steroid replacement.
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