In mothers suffering from prenatal depression, a single low dose of ketamine after delivery would reduce depressive episodes by about three-quarters.
- According to one study, taking 0.2 mg/kg of ketamine reduced major depressive episodes 42 days after delivery in mothers with prenatal depression.
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms were more frequent in patients who received the treatment than those in the placebo group.
- However, the manifestations were transient and did not require drug intervention.
In a new study, published in the journal British Medical Journal (BMJ), scientists from Peking University First Hospital in Beijing (China) wanted to test the effectiveness of a single low dose of ketamine after delivery for mothers with symptoms of prenatal depression. As a reminder, ketamine, a narcotic drug indicated in anesthesia, has been used for several years to treat intractable pain in palliative care, or even chronic pain.
364 mothers received 0.2 mg/kg ketamine or placebo
As part of the research, researchers recruited 364 mothers over the age of 18. Participants had at least mild prenatal depression and were admitted to the hospital for the birth of their baby. They were randomly divided into two groups to receive 0.2 mg/kg of ketamine or a placebo as an intravenous infusion over 40 minutes after giving birth to their child. Adverse effects were monitored up to 24 hours after delivery. “The primary endpoint was the prevalence of a major depressive episode 42 days after delivery, diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview,” the team said.
Postpartum: a depressive episode in only 6.7% of mothers who received ketamine
According to the results, 42 days after delivery, a major depressive episode was observed in 6.7% of volunteers who received a low dose of ketamine, compared to 25.4% in the placebo group. Mothers who received ketamine had lower scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at seven days and 42 days. “The ketamine group had a higher incidence of neuropsychiatric adverse effects (45.1% versus 22%). However, the symptoms lasted less than a day and did not require drug treatment.” , reported the authors. In the conclusions of their work, they suggest that low-dose ketamine should be considered in mothers with symptoms of prenatal depression.