NCT07292649

Maternal Expectations on Labor Analgesia and Risk of Postpartum Depression: An Observational Study

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 3,640 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Padova · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is defined as the development of depression at any time during the first year after childbirth¹. Its prevalence ranges from 15% to 20%. It can manifest with symptoms such as depressed mood, loss of interest and energy, insomnia, anxiety, and may even lead to suicidal ideation. The consequences are numerous, both physical and psychological, with long-term repercussions on the mother-infant bond, family dysfunction, and the development of emotional and cognitive disorders in children. The etiology of PPD is multifactorial, but numerous recent studies have focused on the role of labor pain and its management with labor analgesia techniques. The aim of the present study is therefore to assess whether there is a difference in the incidence of PPD between parturients whose expectations regarding labor analgesia were met ('expectations met' group) versus those whose expectations were unmet.

Conditions

• Postpartum Depression (PPD)
• Labor Analgesia
• Expectations

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Epidural analgesia	Analgesia via epidural catheter using local anesthetic ± opioid, administered on patient request during labor.
PROCEDURE	Spinal analgesia for labour pain	Single-shot spinal analgesia
OTHER	No neuraxial analgesia	Patients did not received spinal or epidural labour analgesia

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2028-01-01
• Completion: 2028-06-01
• First posted: 2025-12-18
• Last updated: 2025-12-18