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

Tiffany Field; Tory Field; Christy Cullen; Shay Largie; Miguel Diego; Saul Schanberg; Cynthia Kuhn

doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.10.008

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

Tiffany Field, Tory Field, Christy Cullen, Shay Largie, Miguel Diego, Saul Schanberg, Cynthia Kuhn

Pediatrics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	399-401
Number of pages	3
Journal	Early Human Development
Volume	84
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.10.008
State	Published - Jun 1 2008

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Keywords

Cortisol
Lavender

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

Cite this

Field, T., Field, T., Cullen, C., Largie, S., Diego, M., Schanberg, S., & Kuhn, C. (2008). Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Human Development, 84(6), 399-401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.10.008

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Access to Document

10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.10.008