SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025
Efficacy and safety of ketamine and esketamine in reducing the incidence of postpartum depression: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Efficacy and safety of ketamine and esketamine for the prevention of postanesthetic shivering in cesarean delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of esketamine on sleep disorders in parturients undergoing cesarean section under general anesthesia: a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled prospective study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Trial
- Bolus versus Continuous Infusion of Esketamine for Prevention of Postpartum Depression After Caesarean Delivery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Trial
- Effects of Intraoperative Esketamine-Dexmedetomidine Combination on Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Neuropsychiatric Events Following Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is categorized by the Disorders-Fifth Edition as depression that begins during pregnancy or within the first month after giving birth. Ketamine and esketamine have shown promising results in the treatment of several depressive disorders, which suggests that they may have a role in the prevention of PPD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to update evidence about the efficacy and safety of using ketamine and esketamine to reduce PPD incidence.
methodsWe searched four databases, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane, to collect relevant studies. We included studies which investigated the preventive effect of ketamine or esketamine on PPD among women after giving birth through caesarean or vaginal delivery. We extracted PPD occurrence rate, PPD score, pain score and side effects. Finally, a meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan software.
resultsTwenty-one eligible studies were incorporated in the current systematic review and meta-analysis involving 4,389 pregnant women. Esketamine was the intervention in 14 studies, and ketamine was used in 7 studies. In subgroup analysis, both ketamine and esketamine were significantly effective in reducing the incidence of short-term PPD (ketamine: RR = 0.72, 95% CI [0.56, 0.93], P = 0.01; esketamine: RR = 0.43, P < 0.0001). Esketamine only significantly reduced the incidence of long-term PPD (RR = 0.44, P < 0.00001). Low doses and high doses were effective in reducing the incidence of both short-term (high dose: RR = 0.48, P = 0.0005; low dose: RR = 0.46, P = 0.002) and long-term PPD (high dose: RR = 0.54, P < 0.0001; low dose: RR = 0.61, P = 0.009). Regarding the risk of side effects, patients in the Ketamine/esketamine group showed statistically significant higher rates of developing dizziness (P = 0.0007), blurred vision (P = 0.02), vomiting (P = 0.004) and hallucinations (P = 0,002) than women in the control group.
conclusionBoth ketamine and esketamine are effective in lowering the incidence of short-term PPD. On the other hand, only esketamine is effective in reducing the incidence of long-term PPD. It is recommended to use smaller doses for a more tolerable treatment period since doses less than 0.5 mg are significantly effective. Temporary side effects such as dizziness, blurred vision, vomiting and hallucinations were reported.
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