Esketamine prevents postpartum depression after cesarean section: a Meta-analysis
Yixue xinzhi zazhi April 2, 2026 Yao Wenzhuang, Zhang Hanyun, Liu Suman et al.
A meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials with 2,801 women who had cesarean sections found that perioperative use of esketamine reduced the incidence of postpartum depression at 1 week and 6 weeks after surgery, and lowered Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores within those time frames. However, esketamine increased the risk of intraoperative dizziness and hallucinations. There was no significant difference between groups in postoperative nausea, vomiting, or dizziness.