THE ROLE OF LAVENDER OIL IN RELIEVING PERINEAL DISCOMFORT FOLLOWING CHILDBIRTH - A BLIND RANDOMIZED CLINICAL-TRIAL

Aromatherapy is a movement growing in popularity, but lacking scientif ic justification in the field of practice, although laboratory experim ents are in evidence. Lavender oil is frequently selected for aromathe rapy as having antiseptic and healing properties. More specifically, i t has been used as a bath additive postnatally to reduce perineal disc omfort. A blind randomized clinical trial is described, involving thre e groups of mothers, one using pure lavender oil, one a synthetic lave nder oil and one an inert substance as a bath additive for 10 days fol lowing normal childbirth. Analysis of daily discomfort scores revealed no statistically significant difference between groups. It cannot be concluded that current practice results in a reduction of postnatal pe rineal discomfort at the dilution levels used. However, there is some consistency in results between the 3rd and 5th days, with those women using lavender oil as a bath additive recording lower mean discomfort scores. This is a time when the mother usually finds herself discharge d home and perineal discomfort is high. A total of 635 women participa ted and no side-effects were found.