Prophylactic esketamine to reduce postpartum depression in primiparae: A multicentre, double-blind, randomised clinical trial.
European journal of anaesthesiology January 29, 2026 Tiantian Chu, Xiaoling Peng, Keliang Wan et al. 2 citations
A single dose of esketamine given intravenously around the time of cesarean section, followed by 24 hours of low-dose esketamine in patient-controlled pain relief, reduced the overall incidence of postpartum depression within three months after childbirth in first-time mothers who were not already depressed. The total rate of postpartum depression was 11.59% in the esketamine group versus 20.89% in the saline control group. The benefit was most evident at 7 days postpartum, with no significant differences at 1, 2, or 3 months individually. Mild side effects like dizziness, hallucination, and dissociation occurred in some women. The treatment appears relatively safe and prevents postpartum depression in the short term.