EuroNews (English)

Ketamine injection after childbirth can reduce postpartum depression in new mothers by 75%

- Rory Elliott Armstrong

Depression among expectant mothers during and shortly after giving birth is emerging as a pressing global health issue.

When it comes to treatment, medical profession­als are actively exploring novel treatment approaches to address depressive symptoms in new parents, including the use of psychedeli­c drugs in one newly-published study.

Scientists in China and the United States unveiled a promising interventi­on: a single lowdose injection of esketamine administer­ed immediatel­y after childbirth appears to signi cantly reduce major depressive episodes in mothers who had prenatal depression.

The new study, published in the BMJ last week, sheds light on the potential of esketamine, a derivative of ketamine commonly used as an anaestheti­c and in depression management, in alleviatin­g perinatal depression.

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As part of the study, scientists looked at 361 mothers with a median age of 32 and no prior medical history of depression.

Those found to be grappling with prenatal (before birth) depression received a sole low-dose injection of esketamine promptly following the delivery of their children.

The blind, placebo-controlled study lasted around two years and took place across ve hospitals in China.

Researcher­s discovered that among participan­ts with prenatal depressive symptoms, those who received esketamine were about 75 per cent less likely to experience major depressive episodes at the 42-day mark compared to their counterpar­ts.

The participan­ts were divided into two cohorts: one received esketamine, while the other received a placebo injection approximat­ely 40 minutes post-delivery.

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'Extraordin­arily safe, e ective and cheap'

Throughout the study period, participan­ts underwent interviews at 18 to 30 hours postchildb­irth, on day 7, and again on day 42.

By the end of the 42-day period, a mere 6.7 per cent of mothers who received esketamine had encountere­d a major depressive episode, in stark contrast to 25.4 per cent of those who received placebo injections.

Some su ered side e ects of dizziness and double-vision, but these subsided within a day.

"A single dose of intravenou­s esketamine is extraordin­arily safe, e ective, and cheap for women at risk of worsening depression after childbirth," Dr Rupert McShane, an associate professor of psychiatry at Oxford University who was not involved in the study, told Euronews Health.

"The challenge for us in the UK is to nd the funding for monitoring so that the bene t can be maximised and the risks brought to a minimum," he added.

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What exactly is postnatal depression?

Postnatal depression a ects one in 10 women after they give birth.

Those a ected experience intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that usually begin two to three days after the birth and can last months.

Other symptoms include insomnia, loss of appetite, intense irritabili­ty, and di culty bonding with the baby.

In rare cases, an extreme disorder called post-partum psychosis may develop.

Existing treatment includes talking therapy or traditiona­l antidepres­sants, but these can take weeks to take e ect.

 ?? ?? A new study administer­ed ketamine to new parents to keep postpartum depression away.
A new study administer­ed ketamine to new parents to keep postpartum depression away.

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