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Treatment of Anaemia After Caesarean With Intravenous Versus Oral Iron and Postpartum Depression

Treatment of Anaemia After Caesarean With Intravenous Versus Oral Iron and Postpartum Depression: a Multicentric Randomized Open-labelled Controlled Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06833788
Acronym
IRON-DEP
Enrollment
2860
Registered
2025-02-19
Start date
2025-10-22
Completion date
2028-10-30
Last updated
2026-06-23

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Postpartum Depression (PPD)

Keywords

Postpartum depression (PPD), Postpartum anaemia, Caesarean, Intravenous (IV) iron therapy, Oral iron therapy

Brief summary

The objectif of the IRON-DEP Study is to assess the efficacy of intravenous (IV) versus oral iron treatment on the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in women with moderate iron deficiency anemia after caesarean delivery.

Detailed description

PPD is a frequent (10-20% of delivery) and serious condition that has a detrimental impact on both maternal and child health by altering the quality of their interactions. Moreover, it is a significant risk factor for suicide, which is the leading cause of maternal death. The increased risk of PPD in women with postpartum anemia has been documented. Women who delivered by cesarean are particularly vulnerable to this risk as this mode of delivery is a risk factor for both postpartum anaemia and postpartum depression. Therefore, correcting anemia and preventing PPD in this population represent a major public health priority. First line treatment recommended for iron deficiency moderate anaemia (8.0g/dL≤ Hb ≤10.0g/dL) is oral iron. However oral iron is associated with very frequent adverse effects, contributing to poor tolerance and compliance of this treatment. Actually, IV iron is indicated in women with non-severe postpartum anaemia with lack of response or intolerance to oral iron treatment. There is growing interest in the use of intravenous iron and several randomized controlled trials demonstrated that IV iron is significantly more efficient than oral iron supplementation to correct moderate postpartum anaemia and increase haemoglobin level. However, none of them compared the efficacy of IV iron versus oral iron on postpartum depression as a primary outcome. The hypothesis of the IRON-DEP Study is that, among women with moderate postpartum iron deficiency anaemia after caesarean delivery, the prevalence of PPD symptoms at 8 weeks after delivery is lower in women treated with IV iron than in those treated with oral iron. The IRON-DEP trial is a phase IV national multicenter comparative randomized controlled superiority open-label trial with 2 parallel groups. Implementation of the study : * 24 french maternity units will be participating * Women who delivered by cesarean admitted in the postpartum maternity ward, with postpartum anaemia will be screened to check the inclusion and exclusion criteria. * The investigator will inform the eligible patient about the protocol and obtain the written consent * The randomization will take place during the hospitalization for caesarean delivery and will be stratified on the centre and on the initial severity of post-partum anemia (according to the postpartum hemoglobin level). * IV iron will be administered during hospitalization and participants in the oral iron group will start their treatment during their hospitalization for 8 weeks treatment. * A follow up visit at 8 weeks postpartum will be planned at the maternity unit for all participants * All participants will fill in self-assessment questionnaires (online or paper form) at inclusion, 8 weeks and 6 months postpartum follow up.

Interventions

Single dose of Ferric carboxymaltose 1000 mg (20mL) IV infusion (20ml vial of 1000mg iron or two 10ml vials of 500mg)

DRUGTIMOFÉROL®

100 mg once a day (2 pills of TIMOFÉROL® 50mg)

Sponsors

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Pre-inclusion criteria: * Age ≥18 years * Caesarean delivery (elective or in emergency) * Gestational age at delivery ≥ 32 weeks * 8.0 g/dL ≤ postoperative Hb level ≤ 10.0 g/dL measured within 72 hours postpartum * Informed consent form signed * Hospitalization in the postpartum maternity ward * National social security coverage including AME Inclusion criteria: * Ferritinemia ≤ 100 ng/mL OR transferrin saturation ≤ 20% measured after postoperative Hb level measurement * EPDS score in the immediate postpartum \<11 with a "never" answer to question n°10

Exclusion criteria

* Stillbirth or neonatal death * Last body weight available before inclusion (measured at the end of pregnancy or in postpartum) \< 35kg or \> 100kg * Biermer disease * Hemochromatosis * Homozygous sickle cell disease or thalassemia * Chronic iron supplementation (outside pregnancy) * Known hypersensitivity or allergy to the studied drugs (IV or oral iron) * Contra-indication to the studied drugs (IV or oral iron) * Severe asthma (with daily background treatment) * Any known severe renal or liver disorder * Active acute infection * Diagnosis of schizophrenia or physical and intellectual state incompatible with a reliable self-evaluation * Women currently treated with medication or with Electro Convulsion Therapy (ECT) for depression or bipolar disorders * Participation in another clinical trial involving an intervention with the following risks: * A change (increase or decrease in value) in Haemoglobin measured at 2 months postpartum OR * A change in EPDS score measured at 2 and 6 months postpartum OR * A trial exploring an intervention with a specific anaphylactic risk (reported as a potential adverse events in the protocol of the other trial) administered during the postpartum hospitalization period. * Poor understanding of the French language * Legal protection (curatorship or tutorship)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Prevalence of PostPartum Depression (PPD) symptoms defined by an Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥ 118 weeks postpartumEdinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) wil be measured by a self-assessment questionnaire at 8 weeks. The primary measure of treatment effect will be based on the 'treatment policy' estimand: the effect will be measured by including all women who participated in the study, according to the initial randomization, regardless of the treatment they actually received or their adherence to the treatment. If the 8-week value is not observed, these participants will be included in the analysis after imputing their missing value. Secondary measures of treatment effect will be implemented based on the "principal stratum strategy" estimand: the effect will be measured in women according to the treatment they actually received and in those who achieved a compliance rate of over 80%. The estimands discussed above will be applied to all efficacy-related criteria. For safety-related criteria, only the second estimand (principal stratum strategy) will be considered.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The mean Haemoglobin (Hb) level8 weeks postpartumAll participants will have à haemoglobin measurment at 8 weeks
Change in postpartum Haemoglobin (Hb) levelAt Inclusion and at 8 weeks postpartumHaemoglobin measurment at 8 weeks
The proportion of women with Haemoglobin level < 12.0 g/dL8 weeks postpartumHaemoglobin measurment at 8 weeks
The mean ferritinemia levelAt Inclusion and at 8 weeks postpartumFerritinemia dosage at 8 weeks
The mean change in ferritinemia levelAt Inclusion and at 8 weeks postpartumFerritinemia dosage at 8 weeks
The proportion of women with ferritinemia < 20 ng/mL8 weeks postpartumFerritinemia dosage at 8 weeks
Mean EPDS score8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumEdinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) wil be measured by a self-assessment questionnaire
The proportions of participants with moderate depressive symptoms level defined by an EPDS ≥ 11 and <138 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumEdinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) will be measured by a self-assessment questionnaire
The proportions of participants with high depressive symptoms level defined by an EPDS ≥138 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumEdinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) wil be measured by a self-assessment questionnaire
The mean change in EPDS score8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumEdinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) wil be measured by a self-assessment questionnaire
The need for red blood cell transfusionFrom discharge to 8 weeks postpartumThe variable of interest is whether (yes or no) a patient received a red blood cell transfusion. The summary measure of the effect is the percentage of patients who were transfused.
The mean fatigue score measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory score-20 (MFI-20)8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumMultidimensional Fatigue Inventory score-20 (MFI-20) self-assessment questionnaire ( overall and in each of its 5 dimensions: general fatigue, physical fatigue, reduced activity, reduced motivation, and mental fatigue).
The proportion of women with high fatigue score (MIF-20 score>15)8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumMultidimensional Fatigue Inventory score-20 (MFI-20) self-assessment questionnaire
The mean relative change in MFI-20 scores8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumMultidimensional Fatigue Inventory score-20 (MFI-20) self-assessment questionnaire
The mean score for mother and child bonding measured by the Mother to Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS)8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumMother to Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) self-assessment questionnaire
The proportion of women with MIBS≥28 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumMother to Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) self-assessment questionnaire
The proportion of breastfeeding women and mean duration for those who stopped8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumParticipants will answer self assessment questionnaires
The mean relative change in MIBS score8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumMother to Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) self-assessment questionnaire
The mean score of quality of life measured by EQ-5D-5L (European questionnaire of quality of life, 5 domains, 5 levels)8 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartumEQ-5D-5L (European questionnaire of quality of life, 5 domains, 5 levels) overall and for each of the 5 dimensions
The number of women in each group who also received the other group treatment within 8 weeks postpartumUp to 8 weeksWomen who needed IV iron in the oral iron group because of poorly tolerated anaemia, and women who took oral iron after hospital discharge in the IV iron group
Assessement of adverse eventsFrom first drug administration to 8 weeksIncidence, nature, and severity of adverse events and serious adverse events
Compliance to treatment for participants in the oral iron arm8 weeksGood compliance defined by the overall drug intake \>80% of the prescribed oral iron treatment
Total costs of healthcare resources for medicoeconomic cost-consequence analysisUp to 6 months postpartumUse of resources and consequences for women are collected prospectively from the time of randomization up to 6 months by a a self-assessment questionnaire at 8 weeks and 6 months

Countries

France

Contacts

CONTACTMarie-Pierre BONNET, MD, PhD
marie-pierre.bonnet@aphp.fr(+) 33 1 71 73 89 56
CONTACTSarra POCHON, MD
sarra.pochon@aphp.fr0033 1 42 16 75 74
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMarie-Pierre BONNET, MD, PhD

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

STUDY_DIRECTORCatherine DENEUX-THARAUX, MD, PhD

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 24, 2026