The Effect of Oral Probiotic Capsules on Postpartum Depression in Primiparous Women: A Triple-blind Randomized Control trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Assistant professor, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Associate professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Iranian Medicine, School of Iranian and Complementary Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: The postpartum period is the most critical period for presenting mental problems and depression. It seems that probiotics can affect mental health by changing the intestinal microbial flora; therefore, the present study was conducted with aim to determine the effectiveness of oral probiotic capsule on postpartum depression of primiparous women.
Methods: This triple-blind randomized clinical trial study was conducted in 2023 on 60 qualified primiparous women who had just given birth in Mashhad. The women were placed in two groups of 30 people, drug and placebo. The drug group received one probiotic capsule daily from the third day after delivery, and the placebo group received a placebo capsule for 30 days. Edinburgh postpartum questionnaire was completed by the two groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (version 25) and t-test, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic and obstetric characteristics. There was no statistically significant difference between the drug and placebo groups in the mean score of depression before the intervention (p=0.809). After the intervention, the mean score of depression in the placebo group was 4.56±4.33 and in the drug group was 1.00±0.40, which had a statistically significant difference (p=0.0001).
Conclusion: Consuming probiotic capsules can reduce women's depression in the postpartum period.

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Main Subjects


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