I'd like to take a moment to talk about the Mother's act. It stands for The Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression.
The Mother's Act is legislation that would initiate new federal investment in postpartum education, detection and treatment.
A bill to ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services, and to increase research at the National Institutes of Health on postpartum depression.
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Postpartum depression is a serious and disabling condition that affects anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of new mothers.
1. In the United States, there may be as many as 800,000 new cases of postpartum conditions each year.
2. In New Jersey alone there are 11,000-16,000 cases of PPD each year.
3. These mothers often experience signs of depression and may lose interest in friends and family, feel overwhelming sadness or even have thoughts of harming the baby or themselves.
4. The cause of PPD isnt known but changes in hormone levels, a difficult pregnancy or birth, and a family history of depression are considered possible factors.
Specifically, the MOTHERS Act will help new moms by:
Providing important education and screening on postpartum depression (PPD) that can lead to early identification and treatment. A major part of prevention is informing new mothers about the symptoms and providing them with the services that are available in their community. Thus, this legislation includes two grants to help health care providers educate, identify and treat PPD.
Awards grants to States so that local health care providers (physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals) can educate women who have recently given birth and their families about PPD before the mothers leave the birthing center and offer the opportunity for new mothers to be screened for postpartum depression symptoms during the first year of postnatal check-up visits.
Awards grants to States and local governments, public or non-profit hospitals and community based organizations for the delivery of essential services to individuals with postpartum depression and psychosis and their families, including enhanced outpatient and home-based health care, inpatient care and support services.
Expanding important research to improve and discover new treatments, diagnostic tools and educational materials for providers. Since the exact cause of PPD isnt known, research continues to be the key to unlocking the mystery of this condition.
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This legislation incorporates a House bill, the Melanie Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act, which would expand and intensify research at the NIH with respect to PPD and psychosis, including increased discovery of treatments, diagnostic tools and educational materials for providers.
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New Jerseys Lead on Postpartum Depression Policy The MOTHERS Act was introduced in response to a recently passed, first-of-its-kind New Jersey law requiring doctors and nurses to educate and screen expectant mothers about PPD. This state bill was introduced by State Senate President Richard Codey whose wife, Mary Jo Codey, suffered from PPD.
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The MOTHERS Act was introduced in response to a recently passed, first-of-its-kind New Jersey law requiring doctors and nurses to educate and screen expectant mothers about PPD. This state bill was introduced by State Senate President Richard Codey whose wife, Mary Jo Codey, suffered from PPD.
All the Senate wants to do is ensure that new moms are educated about PPD and have access to the services they need in addition to funding research at NIH on the issue. I don't see all pregnant women being classified as mentally ill anywhere in that. Doesn't even mention anything about forcing treatment.
In the Congressional findings, medication is mentioned only as a form of treating PPD. That's not directly encouraging new moms to take drugs; it's encouraging them to seek treatment, whether it be therapy or some other course. Not every new mom will need therapy, hospitalization, or medication, and this bill is far from attempting to "indoctrinate" moms with psych drugs. Also, the bill only mentions "medication" once. It does not even use the word "drug."
