Abstract

Objective: To identify the effectiveness of the use of aromatherapy on perineal discomfort or pain in primiparous adult women who had a vaginal birth without complications.

Methods: The search strategy was aimed to find both published and unpublished studies. A three-step search strategy will be utilized in this review. The databases to search included: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Evidence- Based CAM, Medline, USF University of South Florida Libraries, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM PubMed. The search for unpublished studies was included: ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis, and Open Grey.

Results: A comprehensive search of the literature found 39 studies, including 4 duplicates. After screening the titles of the remaining 35 studies, 21 studies were excluded. The full-text articles assessed for eligibility were 14, excluded 7 and included 7. The aromatherapy treatments for early postpartum mothers revealed a reduction of fatigue and increase in relaxation.

Conclusions: This systematic review highlights the possibility of applying another form of alternative and complementary therapy such as aromatherapy to reduce perineal discomfort and pain in mothers in the period of postpartum, in inhaled form and in a massage.