Early Human Development
Volume 84, Issue 6 , Pages 399-401, June 2008

Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants

  • Tiffany Field

      Affiliations

    • Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
    • Fielding Graduate University, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, P.O. Box 01620, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
    • ,
  • Tory Field

      Affiliations

    • Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
    • ,
  • Christy Cullen

      Affiliations

    • Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
    • ,
  • Shay Largie

      Affiliations

    • Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
    • ,
  • Miguel Diego

      Affiliations

    • Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA
    • ,
  • Saul Schanberg

      Affiliations

    • Duke University School of Medicine, USA
    • ,
  • Cynthia Kuhn

      Affiliations

    • Duke University School of Medicine, USA

Received 12 October 2006; received in revised form 23 May 2007; accepted 23 October 2007.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Lavender, Cortisol

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PII: S0378-3782(07)00226-5

doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.10.008

Early Human Development
Volume 84, Issue 6 , Pages 399-401, June 2008

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