Abstract
Assessment of nipple flexibility in nursing mothers can help provide breastfeeding support and advance the research and development of artificial nipples. In this study, we proposed and evaluated a new manual compression nipple reaction force measurement system called the Nipple Flexibility Assessment System that enables easier and safer assessment than conventional systems. To this end, measurement data were collected from lactating women who were 1-2 months into their postpartum period. The reaction force was measured by compressing the nipple with an indenter fitted with a force sensor using the nipple diameter as the reference value. None of the participants reported any pain or discomfort. The temporal variation in reaction force revealed the viscoelastic characteristics of the biological tissue. Based on the viscoelasticity-aware analysis, reaction force values measured at 0 and 2 s under 50% compression were identified as useful assessment indices of nipple flexibility. Based on the continued accumulation of data on nipple flexibility in nursing mothers, we expect to clarify the relationship between nipple flexibility and the mother’s childbirth history, age, number of days into the postpartum period, nursing status, and frequency of nipple problems, as well as utilize these data to develop artificial nipples.
