THE IMPACT OF VITAMIN B6 ON PREVENTING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

Magdalena Próchnicka; Dominika Nowak; Michał Siwek; Adam Zarzycki; Jan Noskowicz; Jan Urban; Jakub Hamouta; Patrycja Długosz; Julia Konat; Wiktor Doroszuk

doi:10.31435/ijitss.3(47).2025.3521

Magdalena Próchnicka University Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, ul. Doktora Kazimierza Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0641-2079
Dominika Nowak University Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, ul. Doktora Kazimierza Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0195-1102
Michał Siwek University Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, ul. Doktora Kazimierza Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0930-9333
Adam Zarzycki University Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, ul. Doktora Kazimierza Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9589-1842
Jan Noskowicz Independent Public Healthcare Institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration named after Sergeant Grzegorz Załoga in Katowice, ul. Wita Stwosza 39/41, 40-042 Katowice, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6578-0398
Jan Urban Independent Public Healthcare Institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration named after Sergeant Grzegorz Załoga in Katowice, ul. Wita Stwosza 39/41, 40-042 Katowice, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8583-6970
Jakub Hamouta 1st Military Clinical Hospital with Outpatient Clinic SPZOZ in Lublin, Raclawickie Avenue 23, 20-049 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6368-223X
Patrycja Długosz University Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, ul. Doktora Kazimierza Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4517-4832
Julia Konat Provincial Specialist Hospital in Lublin, Krasnickie Avenue 100, 20-718 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6607-6725
Wiktor Doroszuk 1st Military Clinical Hospital with Outpatient Clinic SPZOZ in Lublin, Raclawickie Avenue 23, 20-049 Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2446-726X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(47).2025.3521

Keywords: Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Mood Disorders, Vitamin B6, Pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common complications of childbirth. Globally, PPD afflicts up to approximately twenty percent of women during pregnancy or after giving birth. Untreated postpartum depression can have substantial adverse effects on the well-being of the mother and child, negatively impacting child cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development with lasting consequences. The aim of this review is to summarize current evidence on vitamin’s B6 role on preventing postpartum depression.

Material and methods: A PubMed literature serach was conducted using terms ”vitamin B6 in postpartum depression”, ”postpartum mood disorders”, and ”vitamin B6 and pregnancy”. Filters included Free Full Text, Clinical Trial, Randomized Clinical Trial, within the last 10 years.

Results: This single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 81 pregnant women who were at risk of PPD. They received 80 mg of vitamin B6 daily and placebo, respectively from the 28th week until the end of pregnancy. The risk of PPD was assessed as the main inclusion criteria using a structured clinical interview using hospital anxiety-depressive scale, social support appraisals scale, and Holmes and Rahe life change and stress evaluation questionnaire. It was found that the mean score of depression in the post-intervention group was significantly lower than that of the pre-intervention group.

Conclusions: According to the obtained results, vitamin B6 has a positive effect on reducing postpartum depression scores among mothers at risk for PPD. However, these arrangements should be seen as preliminary, until treatment is assessed in larger, multicentre studies of longer duration.

References

Stewart DE, Vigod SN. (2019). Postpartum Depression: Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Emerging Therapeutics. Annu Rev Med. 70(1):183–196. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-041217-011106.

Lim G. (2021). Perinatal depression. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 34(3):233-237. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACO.0000000000000998.

Nillni YI, Gutner CA. (2019). Treatment for perinatal depression: movement towards scalability. Lancet Psychiatry. 6(2):83–85. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30002-1.

Woody CA, Ferrari AJ, Siskind DJ, et al. (2017). A systematic review and meta-regression of the prevalence and incidence of perinatal depression. J Affect Disord. 219:86–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.003.

Howard MM, Mehta ND, Powrie R. (2017). Peripartum depression: Early recognition improves outcomes. Cleve Clin J Med. 84(5):388–396. https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.84a.14060.

Zanardo V, Volpe F, De Luca F, et al. (2019). Maternity blues: a risk factor for anhedonia, anxiety, and depression components of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 33(23):3962–3968. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2019.1593363.

Brockington I. (2017). Suicide and filicide in postpartum psychosis. Arch Womens Ment Health.20(1):63-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-016-0675-8.

Spinelli MG. (2004). Maternal infanticide associated with mental illness: prevention and the promise of saved lives. Am J Psychiatry. 161(9):1548–1557. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.9.1548.

Pawluski JL, Lonstein JS, Fleming AS. (2017). The Neurobiology of Postpartum Anxiety and Depression. Trends Neurosci. 40(2):106–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2016.11.009.

Ross LE, Dennis CL. (2009). The prevalence of postpartum depression among women with substance use, an abuse history, or chronic illness: a systematic review. Journal of Women's Health. 18 (4): 475–486. doi:10.1089/jwh.2008.0953.

Gastaldon C, Solmi M, Correll CU, et al. (2022). Risk factors of postpartum depression and depressive symptoms: umbrella review of current evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. Br J Psychiatry. 221(4):591-602. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2021.222.

Paschetta E, Berrisford G, Coccia F, et al. (2014). Perinatal psychiatric disorders: an overview. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 210 (6): 501–509.e6. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2013.10.009.

Earls MF. (2010). Incorporating recognition and management of perinatal and postpartum depression into pediatric practice. Pediatrics. 126(5):1032–1039. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-2348.

Ceriani Cernadas JM. (2020). Postpartum depression: Risks and early detection. Arch Argent Pediatr. 118(3):154-155. https://doi.org/10.5546/aap.2020.eng.154.

Oliveira TA, Luzetti GGCM, Rosalém MMA, Mariani Neto C. (2022). Screening of Perinatal Depression Using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet. 44(5):452-457. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1743095.

Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. (1987). Detection of Postnatal Depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry. 1987;150(6):782-786. doi:10.1192/bjp.150.6.782.

Brown JV, Wilson CA, Ayre K, et al. (2021). Antidepressant treatment for postnatal depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2(2):CD013560. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd013560.pub2.

McDonagh MS, Matthews A, Phillipi C, et al. (2014). Depression drug treatment outcomes in pregnancy and the postpartum period: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol. 124(3):526–534. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000000410.

Fitelson E, Kim S, Baker AS, Leight K. (2010). Treatment of postpartum depression: clinical, psychological and pharmacological options. Int J Womens Health. 3:1–14. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S6938.

Frieder A, Fersh M, Hainline R, Deligiannidis KM. (2019). Pharmacotherapy of Postpartum Depression: Current Approaches and Novel Drug Development. CNS Drugs. 33(3):265–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40263-019-00605-7.

Kim S, Soeken TA, Cromer SJ, et al. (2014). Oxytocin and postpartum depression: delivering on what's known and what's not. Brain Res. 1580:219–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.009.

Kroll-Desrosiers AR, Nephew BC, Babb JA, et al. (2017). Association of peripartum synthetic oxytocin administration and depressive and anxiety disorders within the first postpartum year. Depression and Anxiety. 34 (2): 137–146. doi:10.1002/da.22599.

Deng ZD, Robins PL, Regenold W, Rohde P, Dannhauer M, Lisanby SH. (2024). How electroconvulsive therapy works in the treatment of depression: is it the seizure, the electricity, or both? Neuropsychopharmacology. 49(1):150-162. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01677-2.

Parra M, Stahl S, Hellmann H. (2018). Vitamin B6 and Its Role in Cell Metabolism and Physiology. Cells. 7(7):84. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells7070084.

Ueland PM, Ulvik A, Rios-Avila L, Midttun Ø, Gregory JF. (2015). Direct and Functional Biomarkers of Vitamin B6 Status. Annu Rev Nutr. 35: 33–70. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-071714-034330.

Ghatge MS, Al Mughram M, Omar AM, Safo MK. (2021). Inborn errors in the vitamin B6 salvage enzymes associated with neonatal epileptic encephalopathy and Rother pathologies. Biochimie. 183:18-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biochi.2020.12.025.

Hellmann, H.; Mooney, S. (2010). Vitamin B6: A Molecule for Human Health? Molecules. 15, 442-459. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15010442.

Calderon-Ospina CA, Nava-Mesa MO, Paez-Hurtado AM. (2020). Update on Safety Profiles of Vitamins B1, B6, and B12: A Narrative Review. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management. 16: 1275–88. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S274122.

Kennedy, D.O. (2016). B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy—A Review. Nutrients. 8, 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8020068.

Khodadad M, Bahadoran P, Kheirabadi GR, Sabzghabaee AM. (2021). Can Vitamin B6 Help to Prevent Postpartum Depression? A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Prev Med. 19;12:136. doi: 10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_240_19.

THE IMPACT OF VITAMIN B6 ON PREVENTING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

Abstract

References

Most read articles by the same author(s)