Pregnancy is a time of great joy &, yet, can lead to a lot of unexpected discomforts for the would-be-mothers as the body is undergoing tremendous physiological changes during this period. How could these mothers-to-be helped to go through this period comfortably without resorting to chemicals or synthetic medications? Aromatherapy with its wide arsenal of essential oils & carrier oils would be a plausible alternative. However, there are a lot of negative misconceptions over the use of essential oils during pregnancy, which are being perpetuated in books & over the internet. I hope this article would put to rest some misgivings on the use of aromatherapy for pregnant women out there.
An internet search on the dangers of using essential oils during pregnancy yields information like “Avoid high doses of lavender oil during pregnancy because it is a uterine stimulant”. Apparently there is a high concern on the safe use of essential oils during pregnancy as essential oils have low molecular weight which allows their molecules to by-pass the blood-brain barrier, therefore, would have no problem in passing through to the developing fetus.
Particular risks that would apply to the first trimester are an increased risk of miscarriage & risk of fetal malformation. However, these risks do not go away after the first trimester, hence avoiding a reproductively toxic substance to the first trimester only makes sense if there is evidence to support this guideline.
There are certain classes of essential oils that are contraindicated for use during pregnancy, however those oils are generally not available to the public. Other essential oils that might be accorded a precautionary status are generally those that have varying camphor content or oils which are emmenagogues or menstrual stimulants. Bartram (1995) defines emmenagogues as “plant substitutes for hormones that stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more gonadotrophic hormones. Herbs that initiate & promote the menstrual flow. Most are uterine tonics & stimulants to restore normal function of the female reproductive system. Not used in pregnancy, except when a practitioner has good cause to do so in the first few weeks.”
In the case of Lavandula angustifolia (true lavender) which has a slight camphor component, various researchers have given it a “class 1” rating indicating it is generally safe to use, with no contraindication for pregnancy or breastfeeding. The Complete German Commission E Monograph also “approved” officially the use of L. angustifolia essential oil with no side effects & contraindications. This includes internal use of 1 – 4 drops (20-80mg) of the essential oil as a daily dose (Blumenthal et al 1998).
Although camphor is neither reproductively toxic or abortifacient except in almost fatal doses & a lethal human dose is approximately 200mg/kg. No adverse fetal effects were seen from feeding camphor to pregnant rats at 1000mg/kg/day, or pregnant rabbits at 681mg/kg/day (Leuschner 1997) & a person would have to ingest 24kg of essential oil to reach that level.
Hence, to use aromatherapy blends or even essential oils for inhalation purposes in the recommended dosage would not have any adverse effects on the fetal development under normal circumstances. However, proving safety in pregnancy is always a challenge, but all the indications have shown that essentials oils are generally safe to be used during pregnancy, provided the recommended dosage is adhered. While it pays to be careful but erring too heavily on the side of safety has a downside, that is, it creates fear, doubt & confusion.
Cedric Chow - Aromatherapy Principal Trainer
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