Cesarean Section Can Be Related With Postpartum Depression: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: Depression is highly prevalent during pregnancy and after childbirth, and many factors, including the type of delivery, can contribute to developing this condition. Considering the increased use of remifentanil in painless labor and the need for conducting more studies on the consequences of this method this study aimed to determine the mean score of postpartum depression in women giving birth by either remifentanil-induced painless delivery or elective cesarean section. Materials and Methods: The present study was a longitudinal investigation conducted on140 women referred to private hospitals, Tabriz, Iran, between 2020 and 2021 in two groups: women with elective cesarean delivery and women with vaginal delivery with remifentanil analgesia (n=70/each). Depression during pregnancy was assessed at 35-37th weeks’ gestation, and postpartum depression was determined four weeks after childbirth using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Independent t test and paired t test were used to compare depression scores. Results: Postpartum depression was significantly higher in women who had undergone a cesarean section than in those giving birth by remifentanil-induced painless vaginal delivery (P = 0.009). Conclusions: The prevalence of postpartum depression was higher in women who underwent elective cesarean section than women who underwent painless vaginal delivery with remifentanil. Considering the steady rise in worldwide cesarean section rate and the health burden and consequences of postpartum depression on mothers and children, health legislators should take measures to reduce women’s tendency towards the cesarean section in the long run.