Aromatherapy Oils for Pregnancy, Babies and Children

Aug 18, 2010
Kate Le Page

Aromatherapy Oils Unsuitable for Young Babies - helena liu1

Aromatherapy essential oils must be used with caution whilst pregnant and never used on babies under the age of three months.

The practice of aromatherapy has been used for centuries to treat a whole variety of different health conditions, particularly as a form of stress relief and to reduce anxiety. However, before using essential oils, it is necessary to be aware of some safety guidelines, especially when pregnant.

Aromatherapy Oils for Pregnancy

Before purchasing high-quality essential oils whilst pregnant, it is important to understand which aromatherapy products have been identified as safe during pregnancy and which must be avoided. In The Essential Oils Handbook, Harding (2008) highlights key safety precautions for aromatherapy oils, to include the following:

Avoid massage blends with essential oils/bath oils until after three months of pregnancy.
Use massage blends with half normal drops of essential oils.
Take special care when blending oils to keep to low dosage.
Do not use intensive, strong purifying oils during pregnancy.

There are several essential oils which are identified as being too strong for usage whilst pregnant, such as rosemary, fennel, tulsi, sweet basil, myrrh and angelica root. Harding (2008) identifies aromatherapy oils beneficial for massage after the first three months of pregnancy, to include as follows:

Roman chamomile
orange leaf
lavender
geranium

Aromatherapy Essential Oils for Babies, Toddlers

While aromatherapy essential oils are not safe for babies under three months old, there are recognised benefits for using oils on babies older than three months. Harding (2008) recommends using aromatherapy oils on babies and toddlers, to include the following:

baby bath: 1 drop essential oil diluted in 4 tsp carrier oil
baby massage: 1 drop rose otto in 4 tsp sweet almond oil
for healing a sore bottom: Roman chamomile
to aid sleep and soothe skin: lavender
to calm a baby or toddler: neroli
to moisturize the skin: rose otto

Aromatherapy Safety for Children (2-10 years)

Aromatherapy has been identified to have multiple healing properties when used safely, following key guidelines. While children aged over ten are able to use essential oils as recommended for adults, those aged between two and ten must not have more than two drops of oil in a massage blend. Practical aromatherapy tips for using essential oils on children under ten, as suggested by Harding (2008), include as follows:

to soothe nerves: Roman chamomile
to aid sleep: lavender
to relieve cold symptoms: lemon-scented eucalyptus
to unblock the nose: lemon
to calm emotional stress: sweet orange
to relieve tummy troubles: spearmint
to soothe irritated skin: rose otto

As highlighted above, special precautions are necessary for using aromatherapy oils during pregnancy and for babies, toddlers and children under ten years old. Roman chamomile helps soothe nerves and heal sore bottoms, while lavender aids sleep and soothes irritated skin.

Source:

Harding, J. (2008) The Essential Oils Handbook London: Duncan Baird