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Effects of Boiled Dill Seed on Anxiety During Labor: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine volume 26, pages 100–105 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the effect of boiled dill seed (Anethum graveolens) on anxiety during childbirth compared with oxytocin.

Methods

This study was a randomized clinical trial with 100 pregnant women who were assigned to the oxytocin (50 cases) and the boiled dill seed (50 cases) group by a table of random number. In the boiled dill seed group, 10 g of dill seed was boiled in 100 mL for 10 min and was given to women after filtration once orally at the beginning of active phase. In the oxytocin group, 10 IU of oxytocin in 1000 mL of Ringer solution was prescribed according to the clinical routine. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in both groups before (at the beginning of the active phase) and after (6 h after the delivery) was completed. Meanwhile, pain intensity and duration of labor, dilatation and effacement scores, Apgar score of newborns, and FHR were measured and evaluated.

Results

No statistically significant differences were shown in obvious anxiety scores between the two groups at baseline (P0.05). After the delivery, in the boiled dill seed group, the number of women with severe [0 vs. 8.0% (4/50)] and almost severe [0 vs. 14.0% (7/50)] trait and almost severe [0 vs. 14.0% (7/50)] state anxiety was lower than those in the control group (P=0.050, P=0.041, respectively). Moreover, labor was shorter in the 1st (P 0.01), 2nd (P=0.78) and 3rd (P=0.10) stages in the boiled dill seed group compared to the control group

Conclusions

Dill seed could be used as an effective treatment to reduce anxiety during labor. Dill seed can be effective in reducing the length of labor. Due to lack of maternal and fetal complications, the boiled dill seed could also be used to reduce cesarean section rates in women who are fearful and anxious of delivery. (RCT Code: IRCT201607177065N2)

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Medicinal Plant Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran

    Seyedeh-Fatemeh Hekmatzadeh, Fatemeh Bazarganipour & Jamshid Mohammadi

  2. Centre for Critical Research in Nursing & Midwifery, School of Health & Education, Middlesex University, London, UK

    Helen Allan

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran

    Shahintaj Aramesh

Authors
  1. Seyedeh-Fatemeh Hekmatzadeh
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  2. Fatemeh Bazarganipour
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  3. Helen Allan
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  4. Shahintaj Aramesh
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  5. Jamshid Mohammadi
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Contributions

Hekmatzadehs S, Bazarganipour F and Allan H designed the study and wrote the manuscript. Hekmatzadeh S, Aramesh S and Mohammadi J performed the study. All of the authors read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fatemeh Bazarganipour.

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Hekmatzadeh, SF., Bazarganipour, F., Allan, H. et al. Effects of Boiled Dill Seed on Anxiety During Labor: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 26, 100–105 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-019-3222-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-019-3222-4

Keywords

  • dill seed
  • Anethum graveolens oxytocine
  • anxiety
  • delivery
  • pain