Clinical Study On The Effects Of Epidural Labor Analgesia To Postpartum Depression

Objective:To study the correlation between epidural labor analgesia and reducing the risk of postpartum depression.Methods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,212 eligible and voluntary primiparas were enrolled in this study.According to whether the parturients chose epidural labor analgesia,they were divided into two groups.There were 113 cases who didn't choose epidural labor analgesia,and 99 cases who chose epidural labor analgesia.Two groups' numerical rating scale(NRS)pain score at different time points,comfortable satisfaction and other perinatal variables were collected.Besides,parturients completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS)at 3 days and 42 days after delivery.The incidence rate of postpartum depression(PPD)was recorded.Results:Eventually there were 35 parturients due to various reasons did not complete the entire study.Therefore,177 people had been included in the final analysis.The number was85 and 92 in the parturients who chose or didn't choose epidural labor analgesia.Postpartum depression occurred in 14.12%(12 of 85)of parturients who received epidural labor analgesia and in 29.35%(27 of 92)of those who did not(P=0.015).Epidural labor analgesia was associated with a reduced risk of postpartum deprssion(OR 0.396,95%CI,0.185-0.844,P<0.05),and there was a correlation between 3 days' and 42 days' EPDS score after delivery(Spearman correlation coefficient=0.543,P<0.001).Conclusion:Epidural labor analgesia and reducing the incidence of PPD were indeed related.Further study with a larger sample size is clearly necessary to demonstrate the cause relationship between the two associations.