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Review
. 2020 Nov 11:2020:4384350.
doi: 10.1155/2020/4384350. eCollection 2020.

The Effect of Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) on Reducing Labor Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mohsen Kazeminia  1 , Alireza Abdi  1 , Aliakbar Vaisi-Raygani  1 , Rostam Jalali  1 , Shamarina Shohaimi  2 , Alireza Daneshkhah  3 , Nader Salari  4 , Masoud Mohammadi  1
Affiliations
Review

The Effect of Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) on Reducing Labor Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mohsen Kazeminia et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. .

Abstract

Background: Labor pain is one of the most severe pains, which most of women experience. By using novel supportive methods, the labor pain can be reduced, which makes this event pleasant and delightful. Several original studies have been conducted in regard to the effect of lavender on reducing labor pain, whose results are controversial. One of the applications of meta-analysis studies is to respond to these hypotheses and remove controversies; therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of lavender on labor pain in Iran by using meta-analysis.

Methods: In this study, to find published articles electronically from 2006 to 2019, the published articles in national and international databases of SID, MagIran, IranMedex, IranDoc, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (ISI) were used. Heterogenic index between studies was determined by Cochrane test (Q)c and I 2. Due to heterogeneity, the random effects model was used to estimate standardize difference of the mean score of lavender test in order to assess the labor pain between intervention and control group.

Results: In this meta-analysis and systematic review, finally 13 eligible articles met the inclusion criteria of the study. The sample size from original studies enrolled in the meta-analysis entered in the intervention group was 794 individuals and in the control group was 795 individuals. Mean score for pain in the control group was 7.2 ± 0.42 and in the intervention group was 5.4 ± 0.58 and this difference was statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that lavender can reduce labor pain, which can be considered by health policy makers and gynecologists.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Funnel plot obtained from studies entered into the meta-analysis by using standardized mean difference index (intervention).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Funnel plot obtained from studies entered into the meta-analysis by using standardized mean difference index (control).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot obtained by studies entered into the meta-analysis by using standardized mean difference index (intervention).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot obtained by studies entered into the meta-analysis by using standardized mean difference index (control).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Metaregression of association between sample size and entered studies in meta-analysis by using total mean index (intervention).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Metaregression of association between sample size and entered studies into meta-analysis by using total mean index (control).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Metaregression of association between publication date and entered studies into the meta-analysis by using total mean index (intervention).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Metaregression of association between publication date and entered studies into the meta-analysis by using total mean index (control).
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