Association between postpartum depression and postpartum hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a growing mental health concern worldwide and has detrimental effects on the social and cognitive health of both mothers and infants. This review was performed to assess the risk of PPD in women with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and to identify potential moderators.

The review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database on June 17, 2023 (registration number: CRD42023432955). Two researchers independently performed a literature search of the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for articles published before May 25, 2023, with no filters and no language or location restrictions. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The primary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PPD in women with vs. without PPH. We performed sensitivity analyses and meta-regression analyses to resolve heterogeneity. Meta-regression analyses included the effects of age, maternal smoking, marital status, preterm labor, maternal education level, preeclampsia, anemia during pregnancy, and cesarean section.

In total, seven studies involving 540 558 participants met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Women with PPH were at increased risk of PPD compared with women without PPH (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.03-1.16), and heterogeneity was low (I² = 23%; τ² = 0.0007; p = 0.25). Moreover, the results of the sensitivity analyses showed that the I² value decreased from 23% to 0% after excluding one particular study, which may have been a source of heterogeneity. In the meta-regression analyses, the OR of PPD was greatly affected by maternal smoking (OR -0.26; 95% CI -0.30 to -0.22; p < 0.001). However, we did not observe any effects for maternal age, marital status, preterm labor, maternal education level, preeclampsia, anemia during pregnancy, or cesarean section.

Women with PPH must be closely monitored because they have a higher risk of PPD than women without PPH. Early recognition and management of these patients will improve treatment outcomes, maternal health, and newborn development.