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Updated: Jan 12, 2026
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Published on: August 4, 2023
Effectiveness of aromatherapy on physiological and psychological symptoms during pregnancy: a systematic review and
Victor Hugo Alves Mascarenhas1, Adriana Caroci-Becker2, Jan M Nick3
1School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, 419, Brazil.
Aim:
To evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing physiological and psychological symptoms during pregnancy.
Methods:
This review followed the JBI methodological guidelines for Systematic Reviews of Effectiveness and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Guided by the PICO framework: population (P) comprised pregnant women; intervention (I) was aromatherapy; comparison (C) included conventional treatment, other complementary therapies, or placebo; outcomes (O) involved physiological and psychological symptoms. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies involving pregnant women who received aromatherapy to manage these symptoms were included. Nine databases were searched in January 2022 and August 2024, including Medline, CINAHL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, yielding 1063 registers.
Results:
Twenty-one studies were included (16 randomised controlled trials and five quasi-experimental), conducted in Iran, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan. Meta-analysis revealed that aromatherapy significantly reduced nausea and vomiting (standardised mean difference [SMD] = -0.92; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -1.09, -0.74) and maternal anxiety (SMD = -0.67; 95 % CI: -0.95, -0.40). Improvements in sleep quality were also noted (mean difference = -1.55; 95 % CI: -2.09, -1.01).
Conclusion:
Aromatherapy appears to be an effective and safe option for alleviating certain gestational symptoms. Citrus essential oils such as peppermint, bitter orange, lemon, and mint have been shown to reduce nausea and vomiting. Citrus aurantium, Rosa damascene, mint, and orange blossom have demonstrated efficacy in reducing maternal anxiety. Citrus aurantium, orange blossom, and lavender may also improve sleep quality. However, further high-quality studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.
Registration:
This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO.
