Effects of Aromatherapy for Self-care During Pregnancy
Year: 2010
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Stress reduction care is important for pregnant women to decrease obstetric \ncomplications and children's health problems after birth. We investigated the long-term \neffects during pregnancy of daily self-care with aromatherapy using essential oils \ncontaining linalyl acetate and linalool. We randomly assigned 16 healthy pregnant \nwomen into an aromatherapy group and a control group. Nine participants were assigned \nto the aromatherapy group and seven participants to the control group. Intervention was \nstarted at 28 weeks of pregnancy and the results were assessed at 32 and 36 weeks of \npregnancy as well as during childbirth. We conducted a comprehensive assessment using \nState-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as subjective \nquestionnaire surveys and autonomic nervoqs activity from heart-rate variability as \nobjective physiological indicators as well as the results of childbirth. The STAI traits \nshowed significant aromatherapy effects (p＜0.05) for reducing anxiety. Moreover, a dose- \nresponse relationship was observed which demonstrated a significant difference (p＜0.016) \nwithin the aromatherapy group for the relaxing effects by VAS. This study revealed that \nit is effective to reconrmend self-care using aromatherapy with essential oils containing \nlinalyl acetate and linalool for the purpose of reducing anxiety and providing relaxation \nover the long term during pregnancy. However, it is necessary to conduct further studies \nwith an increased number of participants to investigate the effects on the autonomic \nnervous system and the effects on childbirth.
Authors: Toshiko Igarashi, M Fujita
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W424318648