Studies have shown that a single low-dose injection of ketamine helps laboring women avoid post partum depression, Euronews reported. Depression in women during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth is a global health problem. Medical professionals are actively exploring new approaches to treating laboring women. Studies by a team from the U.S. and China showed the effectiveness of psychedelics for young moms. Thus, according to their data, a single injection of S-ketamine in a low dose, made immediately after the birth of a child, significantly reduces the number of depressive episodes in women with prior prenatal depression. In a double-blind study that lasted 2 years in Chinese maternity hospitals, doctors examined 361 mothers aged about 32 years without psychiatric diagnoses. The women were divided into two groups: one received S-ketamine, the other a placebo injection about 40 minutes after delivery. Then the participants of the experiment were interviewed about their condition - first 18-30 hours after delivery, then after a week and finally on day 42. In the end, only 6.7% of the moms who took S-ketamine experienced a major depressive episode, compared to 25.4% of the women who received the placebo. True, some moms experienced side effects after the ketamine shot - dizziness and double vision - but all of them disappeared within 24 hours.

“A single dose of intravenous S-ketamine is exceptionally safe, effective and cost-effective for women who are at risk of continued prenatal depression after childbirth,” Dr. Rupert McShane, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, told Euronews. - “The challenge we face in the UK is to find means of controlling depression, in a way that scales the benefit and minimizes the risks. Ketamine and its derivatives have been on the radar of psychiatrists for years. As for postpartum depression, it has been described by some health professionals as “predictable.” According to statistics, one in ten young moms experiences strong feelings of sadness, anxiety and fatigue. This condition usually begins two to three days after childbirth and can last for months. Other symptoms include insomnia, loss of appetite, severe irritability and difficulty communicating with the baby.In rare cases, a severe disorder known as postpartum psychosis can develop. Existing treatments include psychotherapy and/or antidepressants, but these take several weeks to work.