In the present study, state anxiety was significantly lower
in the aromatherapy group than in the control group under
similar conditions. This suggests that yuzu oil has the ability
to decrease a mother’s anxiety for her sick child undergoing
an infusion at a paediatric clinic.
We received a considerable number of positive responses
to the open question, and we found that there would appear
to be appreciable demand for aromatherapy in paediatric
clinics. In a paediatric hospital, anxiety is one of the reasons
for a mother to visit the emergency room. If mothers
can manage the stress involved in their children’s care, they
can offer better support.17 Therefore, for health professionals,
relieving maternal anxiety is an important aspect
of care. One way of providing anxiety relief is through
inhalation aromatherapy, as presented in this paper, which
is simple, inexpensive, safe, and able to be performed
by anyone; therefore, it is more feasible than massage in
a busy paediatric clinic. Aromatherapy cannot completely
eradicate maternal anxiety until the child’s illness — the
principal cause of anxiety — is completely cured. However,
by decreasing state anxiety, the mother may better understand
the doctor’s actions after a procedure (in this case,
the child’s infusion) and think more constructively about her
child’s care.
Most mothers are already fatigued before arriving at the
hospital through having cared for their sick children; that
anxiety may increase while waiting for treatment to begin.3
Aromatherapy may thus have benefits when employed not
only in the infusion room but also in the waiting area and
at home. However, using aromatherapy too often may be
detrimental to health. It is important, therefore, to have
accurate knowledge in this area. When using aromatherapy
in a clinical setting, health-care workers need to be aware
that exposure can cause adverse effects18 and also that the
device should be kept out of reach of children. It is necessaryEffectiveness of aromatherapy in decreasing maternal anxiety for a sick child undergoing infusion in a paediatric clinic 10