Integrative and complementary practices to control nausea and vomiting in pregnant women: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: to synthesize the evidence available in the literature on the effects of integrative and complementary practices in nausea and vomiting treatment in pregnant women. Method: a systematic review, reported according to PRISMA and registered in PROSPERO. The search for studies was carried out in 11 databases. To assess risk of bias in randomized clinical trials, the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2) was used. Results: the final sample consisted of 31 articles, divided into three categories: aromatherapy, phytotherapy and acupuncture. It was observed that aromatherapy with lemon essential oil, ginger capsules, pericardial 6 point acupressure were the interventions that proved to be effective. Less than half of studies reported adverse effects, with mild and transient symptoms predominating. Most articles were classified as “some concern” in risk of bias assessment. Conclusion: the three most effective interventions to control gestational nausea and vomiting were aromatherapy, herbal medicine and acupuncture, with significant results in the assessment of individual studies.

The Effectiveness of Ginger Oil Aromatherapy and Lemon Oil Aromatherapy on Reducing Emesis Gravidarum in Pregnant Women

“…When essential oils are inhaled, the molecules enter the nasal cavity and stimulate the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system is an area that affects emotions and memory and is directly related to the adrenals, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, body parts that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, stress, memory, hormone balance, and breathing (Nassif et al, 2022).…”