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
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