Augustino, JoyceMoshi, FabiolaJoho, AngelinaMageda, Kihulya2024-08-202024-08-202024Augustino, J., Moshi, F., Joho, A., & Mageda, K. (2024). The effectiveness of perineal cold pack application on postpartum perineal pain and timely breastfeeding initiation among women after spontaneous vaginal delivery in Dodoma region: A randomized control clinical trial (RCCT) research protocol. Medicine: Case Reports and Study Protocols, 5(1), e00308.DOI: 10.1097/MD9.0000000000000308https://repository.udom.ac.tz/handle/20.500.12661/4856Full- text article. Also available at https://journals.lww.com/md-cases/fulltext/2024/01000/the_effectiveness_of_perineal_cold_pack.5.aspx?context=latestarticlesIntroduction: Vaginal delivery is the most standard and safest delivery model worldwide used by pregnant women. Despite the negative impact on a woman’s daily activities, perineal pain following birth is neglected by caregivers and usually not reported by women who may consider it an expected outcome of giving birth. The main objective of this Trial is to determine the effectiveness of perineal cold pack application on postpartum perineal pain and timely initiation of breastfeeding among women after spontaneous vaginal delivery in the Dodoma Region. Methods: The study design will be a randomized clinical control trial among postpartum women aged 18 to 49. The study will be conducted in 2 randomly selected health facilities in the Dodoma region. The participants will be allocated randomly to the intervention and control arm. The intervention arm will receive the perineal cold pack, and the control arm will receive the oral paracetamol 1000 mg. The eligibility will be singleton birth, birth weight (2500 g and above), full-term, 18 to 49 years of age. All postpartum mothers with medical problems or obstetric complications will be excluded. The primary objective is to reduce postpartum perineal pain with the subsequence of timely breastfeeding initiation as a secondary outcome. An estimate of the intervention’s strength of the treatment effect will be measured using an analysis variance. An effect size will be calculated by omega square to measure the effectiveness. This will be an open-label intervention. Discussion: The research data for this study will also provide evidence of whether perineal cold application to postnatal mothers immediately after delivery will relieve pain and subsequently trigger early and timely infant breastfeeding initiation. This finding will impose the importance of early relief of pain as an initial and the importance of initiating breastfeeding. It will encourage the policymakers to emphasize the application of colds for relieving pain in all health facilities in the country.enPerineal coldPostpartumPostpartum perineal painBreastfeedingWomenVaginal deliverySpontaneous vaginal deliveryDodomaArticle