2024-04-21 15:00:00
In a new study published in the journal British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers from Peking University First Hospital in Beijing (China) wanted to test the effectiveness of a single low dose of ketamine following 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 hospitalized for the birth of their baby. They were randomly divided into two groups to receive 0.2 mg/kg ketamine or placebo as an intravenous infusion over 40 minutes following the birth of the child. Side effects were monitored up to 24 hours following birth. “The primary endpoint was the prevalence of a major depressive episode 42 days following birth, diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview,” said the team.
Postpartum: a depressive episode in only 6.7% of mothers who received ketamine
According to the results, 42 days following birth, a major depressive episode was observed in 6.7% of the 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 side effects (45.1% vs. 22%). 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.
1713712705
#dose #ketamine #reduce #episodes
