A Comparitive Clinical Study on the Efficacy of Bhavprakashokta Jeevaniya Gana and Charakakokta Stanyajanan Gana in the Management of Stanyakshaya

Breast milk, known as Stanya in Ayurveda, is considered as nectar for a growing child,promoting strength, long life, and overall development.Colostrum, or first milk, is the first form of milk produced by the mammary glands of humans and other mammals immediately following delivery of the newborn. From the digested food the rasa is formed. Madhur part of this rasa circulating through entire body by the action of vyan vayu reaches breast and termed as stanya.Three or four days after delivery the Dhamnis originating from hridya open and allow the breast milk to flow.The breast milk which has varna, gandha, rasa, rupa ,sparsha in prakrut condition and which evenly mix in water, such pure milk is beneficial to baby. Normal stanyapraman is 2 anjali.Stanyakshay occurs due to agnidushti, srotoavarodha, rasadhatu kshaya, psychological factors of mother (krodha, shoka, bhaya, and avatsalyatwa).Stanya kshaya can be compared to lactational deficiency, hypogalactia in modern parlance on the basis of its signs and symptoms.In Sutika-awasta there is over all Dhatu-kshaya-awastha due to development of the foetus, Pravahana vedana& loss of Raktaand kleda during prasava cause certain emptiness. So women get deprived in mamsa, bala, agni, this state is complicated by Apathyasewana as a result, there is Vata-pradhana-tridosha-prakopa leading to Rasadhatu-kshaya and Upadhatukshaya.Laxity of breasts along with decrease in quantity or absence of milk secretion are the clinical features of stanyakshay. Achaya Bhavmishra mentioned the same.Today Stanya kshaya (hypogalactia) or stanya nasa(agalactia) is a very common problem, especially with primiparous mothers. It is a great irony that such an important problem that is directly associated with the health of the mother and child is largely neglected. Ayurveda explained many drugs which are safe and effective in lactating mothers. Among them Acharya Bhavmishra specially mentioned 10 drugs under Jeevaniya gana as ‘stanya kapha kruta ’ and Acharya Charaka mentioned 10 drugs under Stanyajanan gana as ‘stanyajanan’which seems to be promising in the management of stanyakshaya .Here an attempt will be made to compare the efficacy of Bhavprakashokta Jeevaniya gana and Charakokta Stanyajanan gana in the management of stanyakshaya.Currently, India suffers economic losses because only 55% of children are exclusively breastfed. These economic losses are the result of Higher health systems costs, as children and mothers develop illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding practices,Lost productivity, as children who were not breastfed are less likely to fully develop and fully contribute to the economy, and Higher household expenditures, as families need to purchase breastmilk substitutes like formula when they do not breastfeed their children.Improving the duration of exclusive breastfeeding is a national and international priority. Insufficient milk supply is one of the most commonly cited reasons for early cessation or decreased exclusivity in women who have initiated breastfeeding. Bhavprakash Jeevaniya gana and Charakokta Stanyajanan gana , includes shleshma-vardhakadravyas having ksheer-vraddhi properties which may increase the quantity and quality of breast milk for the effective management of stanyakshaya.