跳至主要内容

Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Treatment in Alleviating Fatigue and Promoting Relaxation of Mothers during the Early Postpartum Period

A postpartum (or postnatal) period begins immediately after the birth of a child and extends for about six weeks, as the mother’s body, including hormone levels and uterus size, returns to a non-pregnant state. Fatigue and lack of energy have been accepted as common effects of childbirth in the postpartum period, with fatigue causing mothers to experience negative feelings and become uncomfortable. Some studies have shown that fatigue in the early postpartum period is significantly related to and is a predictor of postpartum depression. Therefore, to reduce the risk of maternity blues, it is important for early postpartum mothers to have relaxing experiences and fatigue reduction so that they can take care of their child with peace of mind.

In this study, the authors aimed to determine the effectiveness of aroma hand treatment in alleviating fatigue and promoting relaxation of mothers in their early postpartum period. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a two-group pretest-post-test design which used purposive sampling and non-random assignment of 242 consenting Japanese early postpartum mothers who were patients from a hospital maternity unit in Tokyo, Japan. The intervention involved a 20-minute aroma hand treatment using an effleurage method. The participants selected from 5 essential oils: pure lavender, ylang-ylang, citron, rosewood, and sweet orange. Relaxation promotion and fatigue alleviation as the main outcomes were measured using self-administered valid and reliable questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed using the two-sample t-test, two-way factorial ANOVA, and simple main effect test. SPSS ver. 23.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis at a 5% significance level. 

Of 242 participants (intervention group, n = 122; comparison group, n = 120), 229 participants (intervention group, n = 115; comparison group, n = 114) were analyzed per protocol. The intervention group showed a significant improvement in relaxation (t = 6.43, p < 0.001). A significant difference in the simple main effect test of relaxation (F = 37.58, p < 0.001) was found. However, there was no significant reduction in fatigue. The majority (88.4%) of the participants indicated high satisfaction with the aroma hand treatment, and 90.5% evaluated the length of intervention time as appropriate. 

In conclusion, the aroma hand treatment effectively promoted relaxation of early postpartum mothers, but was less effective in alleviating their fatigue. Based on their high satisfaction rate, aroma hand treatment using essential oils may be considered effective in promoting relaxation of early postpartum mothers. Further points for improvement included the proper use of essential oils to avoid aroma shortage and the correct choice of the essential oil to relieve particular symptoms.


Article by Kyoko Asazawa, et al, from Japan.

Full access: http://mrw.so/9L7UU
Photo credit: wuestenigel on Visualhunt/CC BY.

评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

Incorporation of High-Altitude Balloon Experiment in High School Science Classrooms

High-altitude balloon is a balloon, filled usually with helium or hydrogen that ascends into an area called “near space” or stratosphere. The most common type of high-altitude balloons are weather balloons. Other purposes include use as a platform for experiments in the upper atmosphere. Modern balloons generally contain electronic equipment such as radio transmitters, cameras, or satellite navigation systems, such as GPS receivers. The mission of the High-Altitude Balloon Experiment (HABE) is to acquire supporting data, validate enabling technologies, and resolve critical acquisition, tracking, and pointing (ATP) and fire control issues in support of future space-based precision pointing experiments. The use of high-altitude balloons offers a relatively low-cost, low-vibration test platform, a recoverable and reusable payload, worldwide launch capability, and a 'near- space' emulation of the future space systems operational scenarios. More recently, several university...
1 条评论
阅读全文

Location Optimization of a Coal Power Plant to Balance Costs against Plant’s Emission Exposure

Fuel and its delivery cost comprise the biggest expense in coal power plant operations. Delivery of electricity from generation to consumers requires investment in power lines and transmission grids. Placing a coal power plant or multiple power plants near dense population centers can lower transmission costs. If a coalmine is nearby, transportation costs can also be reduced. However, emissions from coal plants play a key role in worsening health crises in many countries. And coal upon combustion produces CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x , CO, Metallic and Particle Matter (PM10 & PM2.5). The presence of these chemical compounds in the atmosphere in close vicinity to humans, livestock, and agriculture carries detrimental health consequences. The goal of the research was to develop a methodology to minimize the public’s exposure to harmful emissions from coal power plants while maintaining minimal operational costs related to electric distribution losses and coal logistics. The objective was...
发表评论
阅读全文

Effects of Karate Training on Basic Motor Abilities of Primary School Children

“You never attack first in karate” might be the best conclusion of karate, which is a martial art practiced typically without weapons. It’s reported that karate has a long history for several hundred years, but the modern karate was spread to the whole Japan from Okinawa in the early part of 20th century. Now it has become one of the most widely practiced martial art forms in the world. Usually, it’s divided into Kihon, Kata and Kumite. As for the beginners, Kihon is more suitable for them because it involves basic techniques. Due to karate consists of dynamic offensive and defensive techniques using all parts of the body to their maximum advantage, the best understanding of true karate practice is the perfection of oneself through the perfection of the art. It not only develops coordination, quickens reflexes, and builds stamina, but also develops composure, a clearer thought process, deeper insight into one’s mental capabilities, and more self-confidence. So many researchers stu...
发表评论
阅读全文