Preventing Postpartum Depression With Intranasal Oxytocin

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

The purpose of this study is to test a new treatment for preventing childbirth-related mental illness in postpartum mothers. The treatment is aimed at enhancing maternal bonding, reducing postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety in mothers at risk, and promoting child development. To this end, the investigators will test the clinical utility of intranasal (IN) oxytocin (OXT) administered to mothers during the first postpartum days.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Collaborator: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Treatments: Oxytocin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Third-trimester pregnant women being followed at the MGH Obstetrics Program

• At risk of postpartum depression (PPD)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failure to participate in regular prenatal check-ups

• Current diagnosis DSM-5 mental disorder pertaining to psychosis or substance abuse

• Suicidality

• Obstetric complication (e.g., preeclampsia, excessive hemorrhaging)

• Use of potentially confounding or interacting medications

• Complicating pediatric medical condition in the newborn.