Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic essences and essential oils to achieve well-being or to intervene on pathological states. It is therefore a holistic practice that acts on a physical, mental and spiritual level.
The body's treatment using essential oils has existed since at least 2000 a. C., as numerous historical sources attest. In some cultures essential oils are widely used for general well-being and care; however, in Italy, the use of aromatherapy on a therapeutic level is not currently regulated.
In recent years, numerous international studies have been carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of aromatherapy. There is, in fact, an ever-increasing interest in the integration of the natural approach in clinical practice especially for those situations in which, as happens in pregnancy, an attempt is made to treat common symptoms with products that are as safe as possible for the fetus and the expectant mother.
Essential oils in pregnancy, yes or no?
During the gestational period many women resort to the use of complementary medicines . The remedies most often used are vitamin and mineral supplements and aromatherapy.
The most common applications of essential oils during pregnancy and gynecology are massage, bathing and inhalation .
Essential oils are very concentrated substances and act in a very different way, therefore they should not be used lightly and should not be abounded.
There are essential oils contraindicated in pregnancy ; some of them, including artemisia, absinthe and salvia officinalis are even abortive, so to avoid absolutely .
There are others, however, that taken in the appropriate doses and modalities can help alleviate some of the most common disorders in pregnancy and in the pre and post part of the period : anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting, for example.
The most used essential oils during pregnancy, in the popular tradition, are lemon essential oil and lavender essential oil. It is very important to always choose high quality aromatherapy products, paying attention to counterfeits, as it is essential to avoid “do it yourself”.
When it comes to natural therapies we must never forget that natural is not synonymous with risk-free and side-effects ; before taking essential oils during pregnancy it is therefore advisable to seek the advice of your doctor or the midwife in question .
Aromatherapy in pregnancy, what does medical science say?
Let's start with an assumption: it is very complex to evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy with the classic methods of clinical studies, above all because these are products characterized by odors and perfumes, often taken by inhalation, which make their use with the in blind or placebo randomization.
Studies conducted on the treatment of symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, vomiting and pain during pregnancy or childbirth often have different limits and the results are not always satisfactory .
One of the symptoms most often attempted to treat with aromatherapy is nausea, accompanied by vomiting, which affects a very high number of pregnant women. In a study entitled The effect of lemon inhalation aromatherapy on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: a double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial showed an improvement in the statistically significant symptoms of nausea and vomiting in women who inhaled lemon essential oil compared to to the control group.
According to the results of some studies conducted over the last ten years, lavender essential oil would be able to alleviate anxiety and typical pregnancy tensions and also pain due to episiotomy .
The review Effectiveness of essential oils in clinical studies in the obstetric and gynecological field. Literature review contains an interesting summary of the studies carried out in recent years (until 2016) on the subject.
