SynthesisBMC women's health2020
The association between labor epidural analgesia and postpartum depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC women's health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk factors for postpartum depression: an umbrella review.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- The comparison of the effect of non-pharmacological pain relief and pharmacological analgesia with remifentanil on fear of childbirth and postpartum depression: a randomized controlled clinical trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Trial
- Obstetric anesthesia and postpartum mental health: implications from delivery to long-term recovery.Anesthesia and pain medicine · 2026Review
- Association between the effectiveness of labor epidural analgesia and postpartum depression: a prospective cohort study.Journal of anesthesia · 2026Observational
- Scoping review of preventive interventions for postpartum depression to inform policy and planning.Discover mental health · 2026Review
- Modern neuraxial labor analgesia: techniques, pharmacologic strategies, and maternal-fetal outcomes.Anesthesia and pain medicine · 2026Review
- Influence of Neuraxial Anesthesia Technique During Vaginal and Cesarean Delivery and Association with Postpartum Depression: A Narrative Review of Literature.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Review
- Prediction model for intrapartum labor analgesia efficacy based on preoperative multidimensional indicators.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- The impact of disrespectful care during childbirth on maternal mental health: postpartum depression and suicidal ideation 6-9 months after birth.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Association of remifentanil analgesia with postpartum depression and birth experience: an observational study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Observational
- Consumer Products Nerve Injuries Among Patients Products Presenting to United States Emergency Departments Between 2012 and 2021: A Nationwide Cohort.Open access emergency medicine : OAEM · 2025Article
- The role of anesthesiologists in postpartum depression: current perspectives and future directions.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Association between epidural analgesia and postpartum psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Persistent Postpartum Pain - A Somatic and Psychologic Perfect Storm.Journal of pain research · 2024Review
- The association between labour epidural analgesia and postpartum depression in primiparous patients: a historical cohort study.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2023Article
- Unexpected changes in birth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for maternal mental health.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2022Article
- Childbirth Pain, Labor Epidural Analgesia, and Postpartum Depression: Recent Evidence and Future Directions.Journal of pain research · 2022Review
- Newborn Weight Loss as a Predictor of Persistence of Exclusive Breastfeeding up to 6 Months.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2022Article
- Childbirth Pain and Post-Partum Depression: Does Labor Epidural Analgesia Decrease This Risk?Journal of pain research · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated that appropriate treatment for postoperative pain can lead to improvement in depressive symptoms, however the association between adequate intrapartum pain control and the development of postpartum depression is not clear. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of labor epidural analgesia and postpartum depression.
methodsWe performed a quantitative systematic review in compliance with the PRISMA statement. We conducted a search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Google Scholar databases. The primary outcome was a positive screen of postpartum depression among women who received labor epidural analgesia up to 3 months into the postpartum period. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model.
resultsOf the 148 studies available, 9 studies with 4442 patients were included in the analysis. The use of labor analgesia on positive depression screen compared to control revealed no significant effect, OR (95% CI) of 1.02 (0.62 to 1.66, P = 0.94).
conclusionBased on current literature, the use of epidural analgesia for pain relief during labor doesn't appear to affect the likelihood of postpartum depression. Future studies are warranted to further investigate these findings and identity other possible preventative interventions that reduce postpartum depression.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.