BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - A new clinical trial has recently been published in The BMJ, which demonstrates that administering a single, low dose of esketamine immediately after childbirth can significantly reduce major depressive episodes in individuals who experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy.
This study, led by Shuo Wang, MD, from the department of anesthesiology at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing, China, specifically focused on women with pre-existing prenatal depression, which is a group at high risk for postnatal depression.
The results showed that a single low dose of esketamine injection after childbirth reduced major depressive episodes by about three-quarters, with a longer-lasting effect in mothers with prenatal depression compared to the general population with depression.
To explore the impact of esketamine on postpartum depression in mothers with prenatal depression, researchers in China and the U.S. conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at five tertiary care hospitals in China from June 19, 2020, to August 3, 2022.
The trial involved 361 mothers, with an average age of 32 years, who exhibited mild prenatal depression symptoms and were preparing for childbirth. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either an injection of 0.2 mg/kg esketamine or a placebo after the umbilical cord was clamped.
The results at 42 days postpartum showed a lower incidence of major depressive episodes in participants who received esketamine compared to those who received a placebo (6.7% vs 25.4%, respectively). Although those administered esketamine experienced more neuropsychic adverse events than the placebo group, these effects were short-lived and did not necessitate intervention. Researchers noted no significant link between neuropsychiatric symptoms and the antidepressant effects of esketamine in this study, which aligns with previous findings.
Overall, these findings suggest that administering a low dose of esketamine after childbirth could be an effective treatment option for preventing postpartum depression in mothers who experienced depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The study state that this could have significant implications for improving the mental health and wellbeing of new mothers and their families.
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