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The Impact of Lavender Essential Oil Inhalation on Fatigue and Stress of Mothers of Premature Infants Publisher



Ghorbani A1 ; Shirdel M1 ; Pouraboli B2 ; Mansouri M3 ; Shariat M4 ; Sagheb S5 ; Haghani S6
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. NICU Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Maternal, Fetal &Neonatal Research Center, Family Health Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Neonatology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  6. 6. Biostatistics Nursing Care Research Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

Source: Journal of Neonatal Nursing Published:2025


Abstract

Background and aim: The hospitalization of premature infants can lead to fatigue and stress for mothers. This research aimed to investigate the impact of inhaling lavender essential oil on fatigue and stress levels of mothers with premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in Valiasr and Shariati hospitals on 72 mothers of premature infants from 2022 to 2023. In the intervention group, the mothers inhaled two drops of lavender essential oil for 30 min every other day for four weeks. No intervention was implemented for the control group. we used demographic questionnaires, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, and the Parental Stressor Scale in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. two weeks after the intervention, and four weeks after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26, independent t-, Fisher's exact, chi-square, and analysis of covariance tests. Results: The independent t-test revealed no statistically significant differences in fatigue and stress before the intervention (P-value>0.05). However, two weeks after the intervention, the analysis of covariance indicated significant differences in fatigue and stress between the two groups. Similarly, four weeks after the intervention, there were significant differences in fatigue and stress between the two groups(P-value<0.05). Conclusion: The study results indicated that inhaling lavender essential oil was effective in reducing fatigue and stress levels among mothers of premature infants. © 2024 Neonatal Nurses Association