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.
Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA. tfield@med.miami.edu
Tiffany
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Field
Tory
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Field
Christy
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Cullen
Shay
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Largie
Miguel
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Diego
Saul
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Schanberg
Cynthia
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Kuhn
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