Efficacy of a single low dose of esketamine after childbirth for mothers with symptoms of prenatal depression: randomised clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether a single low dose of esketamine administered after childbirth reduces postpartum depression in mothers with prenatal depression.

Design

Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial with two parallel arms.

Setting

Five tertiary care hospitals in China, 19 June 2020 to 3 August 2022.

Participants

364 mothers aged ≥18 years who had at least mild prenatal depression as indicated by Edinburgh postnatal depression scale scores of ≥10 (range 0-30, with higher scores indicating worse depression) and who were admitted to hospital for delivery.

Interventions

Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either 0.2 mg/kg esketamine or placebo infused intravenously over 40 minutes after childbirth once the umbilical cord had

SUBMITTER: Wang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11957566 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature