The effect of lavender aromatherapy on pain perception and intrapartum outcome in primiparous women

Introduction: Labour pain is a main preoccupation of pregnant women. In this study, the authors determined the effect of lavender aromatherapy on pain intensity perception and intrapartum outcome in primiparous women. Methods: In this randomised controlled trial, 160 participants were divided into two groups. The aroma group received 0.1 ml of lavender essential oil mixed with 1 ml of distilled water via tissues attached to their gowns close to their nostrils. Meanwhile, the control group received 2 ml of distilled water in a similar way. Pain intensity perception was measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before the intervention and at 30 and 60 minutes afterwards. Results: The mean of pain intensity perception in the aroma group was lower than that of the control group at 30 and 60 minutes after the intervention (p←0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed that aromatherapy decreased the labour pain, but did not affect the duration of labour phases and Apgar score.