Stress-reducing interventions during pregnancy, such as Pilates, yoga, mindfulness, and hypnosis, may lower the risk of preterm birth. A meta-analysis of ten studies involving 4,816 low-risk women found that those who received such interventions had a significantly lower rate of preterm birth (relative risk 0.50). However, the overall quality of the included studies was low, and the risk of bias was high, so the authors call for a high-quality randomized controlled trial to confirm the effectiveness.
Low-dose intravenous esketamine given during and after cesarean section reduces postpartum depression scores. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 186 women aged 20-50 years, those receiving esketamine (either intraoperatively alone or combined with patient-controlled intravenous analgesia) showed greater reductions in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores at 5, 7, and 14 days after surgery compared to placebo. Sleep quality, pain scores, and analgesic use did not differ between groups. Mild, temporary side effects were more frequent with combined esketamine and PCIA. The findings suggest esketamine is a safe and effective approach for lowering postpartum depression risk after cesarean delivery.