Exploring perinatal ketamine for postpartum depression following cesarean section: A systematic review

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to explore the use of perinatal ketamine to see if it can be used for the reduction of postpartum depression (PPD) following cesarean section (C‐section). PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science were the primary databases used for this review. Search terms used on January 5, 2024 incorporated “ketamine,” “C‐section,” “postpartum depression,” and related synonyms. The criteria for inclusion centered on studies published between January 1, 2008 and January 5, 2024. The final selection of articles was screened based on extraction criteria leaving eight randomized control trials in the final review. The selected data from the studies incorporated sample characteristics, study and population characteristics, and quantitative analyses covering Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) scores and depression rates. The Risk of Bias assessment was utilized to gain a deeper understanding of the quality of methodology used by the research studies. The review showed that ketamine can reduce the symptoms of PPD in mothers who have recently undergone C‐sections. Some studies showed decreased EPDS scores following the administration of ketamine while two studies also reported no significant differences in PPD following ketamine administration in C‐section patients. For example, Ma et al. found that the EPDS score at postpartum day 4 was significantly lower in the ketamine group compared with the control group (p = 0.007) while Yang et al. found that there were no significant differences between the ketamine and control group at 3 days postpartum (p = 0.553). The research from this review suggests that ketamine administration can prevent or decrease the symptoms of PPD, but more research is needed to establish the causal relationship between ketamine dosage and PPD in C‐section patients.

Keywords

• cesarean section
• perinatal ketamine
• postpartum depression