Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Jul;19(3):e12471.
doi: 10.1111/jjns.12471. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

Effectiveness of aromatherapy for intrapartum and postpartum emotional problems among parturient women: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Tsung-Ming Hu  1   2 , Szu-Han Lee  3 , El-Wui Loh  4   5   6   7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effectiveness of aromatherapy for intrapartum and postpartum emotional problems among parturient women: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Tsung-Ming Hu et al. Jpn J Nurs Sci. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Aim: Perinatal negative emotions are common in parturient women, but the problems are often ignored. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effectiveness of aromatherapy for intrapartum anxiety (IPA) and postpartum emotional symptoms (PES).

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify suitable RCTs for analysis, and the study was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Results: Nine RCTs were included. The meta-analysis showed aromatherapy reduced IPA during the early to active phase (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -1.56 [-2.55, -0.61]) and during the transition phase (SMD: -3.30 [-4.97, -1.63]) when compared with controls. For the postpartum period, the meta-analyses showed a reduction of postpartum depression (PPD) at week 2 (SMD: -0.43 [-0.82, -0.03]), and a non-significant trend toward the reduction of PPD at weeks 4-6 (SMD: -0.70 [-1.40, 0.01]).

Conclusion: Our study found some evidence supporting the effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing intrapartum anxiety and PES. We recommend the optional use of aromatherapy for intrapartum and postpartum care.

Keywords: anxiety; aromatherapy; depression; intrapartum; postpartum.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Austin, M. P., Hadzi-Pavlovic, D., Priest, S. R., Reilly, N., Wilhelm, K., Saint, K., & Parker, G. (2010). Depressive and anxiety disorders in the postpartum period: How prevalent are they and can we improve their detection? Archives of Women's Mental Health, 13(5), 395-401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-010-0153-7
    1. Bell, L., Feeley, N., Hayton, B., Zelkowitz, P., Tait, M., & Desindes, S. (2016). Barriers and facilitators to the use of mental health services by women with elevated symptoms of depression and their partners. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 37(9), 651-659. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2016.1180724
    1. Buckle, J. (2003). Clinical aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
    1. Burns, E. E., Blamey, C., Ersser, S. J., Barnetson, L., & Lloyd, A. J. (2000). An investigation into the use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery practice. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 6(2), 141-147. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2000.6.141
    1. Byatt, N., Biebel, K., Friedman, L., Debordes-Jackson, G., & Ziedonis, D. (2013). Women's perspectives on postpartum depression screening in pediatric settings: A preliminary study. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 16(5), 429-432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-013-0369-4