A controlled trial of the effect of aromatherapy on birth outcomes using "Rose essential oil" inhalation and foot bath

Aromatherapy is the art and science of using essential oils extracted from aromatic plants, and is concerned with natural balance, coordination and promotion of health. This study was designed to determine the effect of «rose (Rosa damascena) essential oil» inhalation and foot bath on the improvement of maternal and neonatal health outcomes. This study was a randomized clinical trial, conducted on 80 primiparous women in Shahid Akbar Abadi Maternity Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Subjects were randomly assigned to aromatherapy and control groups. Aromatherapy group received methods of inhalation and foot bath with rose essential oil for 10 minutes at the beginning of the active phase and then at the onset of the transitional phase of labor. Control group received the routine care of the delivery room. The measured variables in this study included episiotomy in the second stages of labor, Apgar score, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and maternal satisfaction with the administration of pain relievers. Statistical analysis of the extracted data was performed using SPSS version 16 with Chi-square and t student test. Two groups were significantly different in terms of the second stage of labor duration (P<0. 001). A noticeable decrease in NICU admissions was observed in the aromatherapy group (P<0. 005). Concerning the rates of episiotomy and perineal tears, a significant difference was observed between two groups, i. e. the rates were significantly lower in the aromatherapy group (P=0. 001). Maternal satisfaction with labour pain relief in the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group (p=0. 001). Use of aromatherapy by rose essential oil inhalation and foot bath during delivery improves the quality of maternal and neonatal health.