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. 2022 Feb 14;10(2):366.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare10020366.

The Effectiveness of Neroli Essential Oil in Relieving Anxiety and Perceived Pain in Women during Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cristiano Scandurra  1 , Selene Mezzalira  2 , Sara Cutillo  1 , Rosanna Zapparella  1 , Giancarlo Statti  3 , Nelson Mauro Maldonato  1 , Mariavittoria Locci  1 , Vincenzo Bochicchio  2
Affiliations

The Effectiveness of Neroli Essential Oil in Relieving Anxiety and Perceived Pain in Women during Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cristiano Scandurra et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Childbirth is a stressful and physically painful event in a woman's life and aromatherapy is one of the most used non-pharmacological methods that is effective in reducing anxiety and perceived pain. This randomized controlled study aimed at determining the effect of neroli oil aromatherapy on anxiety and pain intensity perception in 88 women during labor, randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 44) or control group (n = 44). Anxiety and perceived pain were assessed through the visual analogue scale during the latent, early, and late active phases of labor. Data analyses included the t-test, Chi-square test, and repeated measures ANOVA. Perceived pain and anxiety in the group receiving aromatherapy were significantly lower than in the control group at all stages of labor (p < 0.05). Specifically, as the labor progressed, pain and anxiety increased in all participants, but the increase was milder in the experimental group than in the control group. The multiparas showed higher average anxiety scores, but not perceived pain, than the primiparas in all phases of labor (p < 0.05). Ultimately, neroli oil aromatherapy during labor can be used as an alternative tool to relieve anxiety and perceived pain in women during all stages of labor.

Keywords: anxiety; aromatherapy; labor; neroli oil; pain; randomized controlled trial.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT diagram of study participants in control and intervention groups.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in pain intensity scores along the stages of labor in experimental and control group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Changes in anxiety scores measured with the Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety along the stages of labor in experimental and control group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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