The Effect of Chamomile Odor on Anxiety and Some Consequences of Delivery in Primiparous Women

Background & aim: The usage of complementary medicine in pregnancy and childbirth is increasing. Chamomile consumption reduces anxiety and makes calmness. In this study, the effect of aromatic herbal use on chamomile essential oil was studied on anxiety and some of the delivery consequences in primiparous women. Methods: The study was a randomized clinical trial performed on 130 primiparous women (65 in the intervention group and 65 in control group) referred to Emdadi hospital, Abhar in 2014. The anxiety state and its trait were measured at the time of entering the study by StateTrait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Two drops of chamomile essential oil or distilled water dipped into gas were inhaled by the intervention and control groups respectively from a distance of 7-10 cm. After the intervention, anxiety was measured at cervical dilations of 4-3 and 10-8 cm. At the end of the intervention, the delivery outcomes were recorded and compared in the two groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 22 using the independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Chi-square. Results: The results showed that the anxiety scores in the intervention group at dilations of 34 and 8-10 cm were significantly lower than the control group (p<0.0001). Chamomile odor did not affect the normal delivery outcome, newborn hospitalization in ICU, and newborns Apgar scores at first and fifth minutes after delivery. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that the aromatherapy of chamomile essential oil decreases the women anxiety without changing the delivery outcomes. So, chamomile essential oil is recommended to reduce childbirth anxiety.