BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
February 13, 2025
Bekelu Teka Worku, Misra Abdulahi, Demissew Amenu et al.
9 citations
Technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions reduce symptoms of prenatal and postpartum depression, according to a meta-analysis of 18 articles representing 2,481 participants. The pooled effect showed a moderate positive effect on maternal depression. The intervention was effective for both prenatal depression and postpartum depression. No studies from low-income countries were included, which limits generalizability to low- and middle-income countries where such interventions could improve access to care.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
February 6, 2025
Moaz Yasser Darwish, Abdallah A Helal, Yousif Ahmed Othman et al.
8 citations
Both ketamine and esketamine reduce the incidence of short-term postpartum depression (PPD), while only esketamine reduces long-term PPD. A meta-analysis of 21 studies involving 4,389 pregnant women found that ketamine lowered short-term PPD risk by 28% and esketamine by 57%. Esketamine alone reduced long-term PPD risk by 56%. Low doses (under 0.5 mg) were as effective as high doses for both short- and long-term prevention. Side effects including dizziness, blurred vision, vomiting, and hallucinations occurred more often with ketamine or esketamine than with placebo.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
May 10, 2025
Heidemarie K Laurent, Katherine L Haigler, Marissa D Sbrilli et al.
5 citations
Prenatal mindfulness training improves relational outcomes only for birthing-people with lower sociodemographic risk but elevated anxiety at baseline, and for those who practice mindfulness more during and after the class. In a randomized controlled trial comparing Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) with community birthing classes, a main effect favoring MBCP appeared only on parenting stress. Moderation analyses showed significant benefits of MBCP on individual outcomes (dispositional mindfulness, mental health, parenting stress) and relational outcomes (mindfulness in parenting, compassion, bonding with fetus/infant) for higher-risk anxious participants and for those with greater mindfulness practice dosage. The findings clarify that relational benefits depend on baseline risk characteristics and practice engagement, guiding targeted adaptation of mindfulness interventions for diverse families.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
January 25, 2025
Mengpei Xu, Ying Wu, Yaqing Zhou et al.
Self-transcendence nursing mode, compared with routine nursing, reduced hospital admissions (1.12 vs 1.56) and hospital stay (7.54 vs 10.23 days) in gestational diabetes mellitus patients. It improved blood glucose, lowered psychological distress, and increased self-efficacy, as shown by better Diabetes Distress Scale and Chinese Versions of Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale scores. However, gestational weeks and insulin utilization did not differ between groups. The intervention also reduced rates of pregnancy-induced hypertension and premature birth.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
July 31, 2023
Wan-Lin Pan, Li-Chiu Lin, L. Kuo et al.
A prenatal mindfulness program reduced stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, but did not significantly improve mother-infant bonding. In a randomized trial, 102 women received either an 8-week prenatal mindfulness course or standard prenatal care. The intervention group reported lower prenatal stress, pregnancy-related anxiety, and depression, as well as lower postnatal stress and depression. No significant group difference emerged in the quality of mother-infant bonding at 2 and 4 months postpartum. The authors propose that prenatal mindfulness may help mitigate mood and anxiety disorders and should be considered in future approaches to preventing psychological distress.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
August 14, 2018
Larissa G. Duncan, Michael A. Cohn, Maria T. Chao et al.
A small randomized controlled trial compared a 2.5-day mindfulness-based childbirth preparation workshop (Mind in Labor) to standard childbirth education for first-time mothers in the late third trimester. Mindfulness training improved childbirth self-efficacy, mindful body awareness, and lowered postpartum depression symptoms through follow-up. Participants showed a trend toward less opioid analgesia use during labor, but did not report lower perceived labor pain or less epidural use. The authors suggest mindfulness tailored to childbirth fear may improve maternal mental health and reduce reliance on systemic opioid pain medication, but a larger trial is needed.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
November 9, 2016
Michael Schredl, Maria Gilles, Isabell Wolf et al.
Pregnant women in their last trimester report nightmares more often than a representative sample of women aged 14 to 93. Nightmare frequency is closely related to subjectively experienced stress during daytime. Baby-related dreams were correlated with nightmare frequency but not with daytime stress. The findings suggest that stress plays a key role in nightmares during pregnancy, and future research should examine nightmare disorders in pregnancy and whether brief interventions like Imagery Rehearsal Therapy could help.