Effects of aromatherapy massage with plant extracts in the improvement of rehabilitation in women with postpartum depression

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of aromatherapy massage with plant extracts in the improvement of rehabilitation in women with postpartum depression.Methods 85 puerperas with full-term delivery and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 10 to 20 were randomly divided into a control group (42 puerperas) and a study group (43 puerperas).The control group received the conventional postnatal care,while the study group received aromatherapy massage with plant extracts from postnatal 24 h to day 42 in addition to the conventional care.The community full escort health management was performed on all the puerperas; the puerperas were tracked by using community-hospital-individual system.The scores on the EPDS and PSQI were compared between the two groups on days 1,7,14,28,42,60 and 90 after delivery,and the index of growth and development was compared in the infants on days 28,60,and 90 after birth.Results The scores on the EPDS and PSQI in puerperas on day 7 and the index of growth and development in the infants on day 28 after birth were significantly better in the study group than in the control group (P＜0.05).Conclusions Aromatherapy massage with plant extracts combined with psychological counseling can effectively improve depression in puerperas,increase sleep quality,and relieve symptoms of depression,and has a good role in promoting the growth and development of infants. Key words: Postpartum depression; Plant extracts; Acupoint massage; Rehabilitation; Effect