This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of
Pyridoxine compared to
Dopaminergic agonists (
cabergoline and
bromocriptine) in post-partum lactation inhibition. Cochrane Central, PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, ScienceDirect, ClinicalTrials.gov, Web of Science, CINAHL and Google Scholar, covering the period from inception to November 2023. Additionally, the bibliographies of included articles and previous meta-analyses were screened for any relevant articles. The systematic review was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The outcomes of interest encompassed inhibition of lactation,
breast pain/tenderness, breast engorgement, milk secretion,
fever,
mastitis,
prolactin level and adverse events related to
pyridoxine,
cabergoline and
bromocriptine. Methodological quality assessment was conducted using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool for rigorous evaluation. Three clinical trials assessed the effectiveness of
pyridoxine and
dopaminergic agents (
cabergoline and
bromocriptine) for lactation inhibition. It was assessed by using different assessment methods such as a scale for milk secretion, serum
prolactin levels, and questionnaires for assessing breast engorgement,
breast pain, and milk leakage. On the global assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of
dopaminergic agents, it was found that there was significant inhibition of lactation as compared to
pyridoxine (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this systematic review contributes significant insights into lactation inhibition interventions.
Dopaminergic agonists, specifically
cabergoline and
bromocriptine, stand out as more effective and tolerable choices compared to
Pyridoxine. These findings provide a foundation for informed clinical decisions and underscore the need for careful consideration of lactation inhibition strategies in diverse clinical contexts.