The effect of bitter almond oil and massaging on striae gravidarum in primiparaous women
Timur Tashan S
Published in Journal of Clinical Nursing
Methodology
Post-test-only quasi-experimental study with a control group in primiparous women; bitter almond oil with 15-minute massage, bitter almond oil alone, or no application, with frequency of striae gravidarum as the outcome.
Key Findings
141 first-time mothers were allocated to bitter almond oil with 15-minute massage (n = 47), bitter almond oil alone (n = 48) or no treatment (n = 46). Stretch marks developed in 20% of the massage group versus 38.8% with oil alone and 41.2% of controls, a significant difference driven entirely by the massage group (p < 0.001). Applying bitter almond oil without massage had no measurable effect, so the benefit appears to come from the massage rather than the oil itself.
Conclusions
A 15-minute massage applied with almond oil during pregnancy reduced the development of striae gravidarum, but using bitter almond oil had no effect on this in itself.
Limitations
A post-test-only quasi-experimental design with non-randomised group allocation at a single Turkish centre, so baseline differences and expectation effects cannot be excluded; outcome assessment was not blinded.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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