The effect of aromatherapy and abdominal massage applied to infants on constipation and maternal anxiety level

Abstract

Purpose: As constipation is a chronic and common disease, cost-effective therapies are needed. In addition, there is a limited number of studies on the aromatherapy massage and normal abdominal massage, which are the traditional and complementary applications included in the constipation management program in the literature. However, there is no study about each of these two applications being superior to the other.

Methods: The research was conducted as a quasi-experimental study between June 2018 and February 2020. The sample of the study was composed of a total of 69 infants and their parents including 23 in aromatherapy massage group, 23 in traditional massage group, and 23 in control group, who met the inclusion criteria. The data were assessed by using the personal information form, the intestinal functions assessment form, State Anxiety Inventory, and abdominal massage checklist. The data were assessed by Shapiro Wilk test, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal Wallis test, chi-square test, and generalized linear model. The significance level was taken as p<0.05.

Results: It was determined that the infants' state of crying and farting during defecation was statistically significant in the aromatherapy massage group and the traditional massage group, and its effect was higher in the aromatherapy massage group (p<0.05). It was determined that the mothers in the aromatherapy massage group had a lower anxiety level compared to the mothers in the other groups. The lowest mean score of the state anxiety inventory was obtained in the aromatherapy group 4 weeks after the massage (p<0.05).

Conclusion: It was determined that the aromatherapy massage and traditional abdominal massage decreased the symptoms of the infants with constipation problems and both were effective on the mothers' anxiety level, but the effect was higher in the aromatherapy group.