Fenugreek consumption and its association with breastfeeding duration: A single-center study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Salma Nahar Alkhlassi, Manar Fahad Aljanubi, Layan Saud Alobaidi, Raghad Hushaysh AlBaqami, Bayan Abdullah Alenazi, Khawla Abdulmohsin Alfaqih, Fatima R. Qadri, Marwah Mazen HassounahBackground
Fenugreek (
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted over a 6-month period at King Khalid University Hospital clinics in Riyadh. Postpartum women aged ≥18 years with a child between 6 months and 5 years of age were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected through direct interviews using an electronic survey and analyzed using SPSS software.
Results
A total of 332 postpartum women were included in the final analysis, with 57.5% using fenugreek during the first six months postpartum. Majority (94.4%) of those using fenugreek did so within the first two months postpartum, with 67% using it for 1-4 weeks. Daily use was reported among 62.7%. No significant association was found between fenugreek use (timing, duration, frequency, or preparation) and breastfeeding across all duration categories. Multinominal logistic regression analyses confirmed that fenugreek consumption did not significantly predict breastfeeding duration.
Conclusions
Among Saudi postpartum women, fenugreek use was common but not significantly associated with breastfeeding duration after adjusting for confounders. Cesarean delivery and delayed breastfeeding initiation were statistically significant predictors of early breastfeeding cessation.