J Korean Acad Nurs.  2005 Dec;35(7):1277-1284.

Effects of Delivery Nursing Care using Essential Oils on Delivery Stress Response, Anxiety during Labor, and Postpartum Status Anxiety

• Hur MH
• Cheong NY
• Yun HS
• Lee MK
• Song Y

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the effect of delivery nursing care using essential oils on labor stress response, labor anxiety and postpartum status anxiety for primipara. METHODS: This study used nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this experiment consisted of forty eight primipara with single gestation, full term, & uncomplicated pregnancies. Twenty four primipra were in the experimental and control group each. Their mean age was 27.9 years old, their mean gestation period 279.9 days. As a treatment, delivery nursing care using essential oils was applied by nurses. Data collected epinephrine, norepinephrine, anxiety during labor. In the 24 hours after birth, the data for the postpartum mother's status anxiety was collected. Data was analyzed by t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, & Wilcoxon signed ranks test with SPSS Program. RESULTS: Plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine were significantly low in the experimental group (P=0.001, P=0.033, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two groups in anxiety during labor and postpartum mother's status anxiety. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that delivery nursing care using essential oils could be effective in decreasing plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine. But, that could not be verified in decreasing mother's anxiety.

Keyword

Essential oils; Aromatherapy; Epinephrine; Norepinephrine; Labor

MeSH Terms

Stress/*prevention & control
Pregnancy
Postpartum Period/*psychology
Oils, Volatile/*therapeutic use
Norepinephrine/blood
Labor, Obstetric/*psychology
Humans
Female
Epinephrine/blood
Delivery, Obstetric/*nursing
*Aromatherapy
Anxiety/*prevention & control
Adult