Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants.
Very young infants were given a bath with or without lavender-scented bath oil. The mothers in the lavender bath oil group were more relaxed, smiled and touched their infants more during the bath. Their infants looked at them a greater percentage of the bath time and cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after bath. The cortisol levels of this group of mothers and infants significantly decreased, confirming the behavioral data showing increased relaxation of the mothers and their infants. These findings support a body of research showing the relaxing and sleep-inducing properties of lavender aroma.
Field
Tiffany
T
Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA. tfield@med.miami.edu
Field
Tory
T
Cullen
Christy
C
Largie
Shay
S
Diego
Miguel
M
Schanberg
Saul
S
Kuhn
Cynthia
C
D000328:Adult; D019341:Aromatherapy; D003448:Crying; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019686:Lamiaceae; D008297:Male; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; D006854:Hydrocortisone