Events Calendar: May 2013

ACOG 61st Annual Clinical Meeting
When: MAY 4 - MAY 8
Where: New Orleans, LA

American College of Nurse-Midwives 58th Annual Meeting & Exhibition
When: MAY 29 - JUNE 2
Where: Nashville, TN


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Medical Updates

Barriers to care numerous for prenatal, postpartum mental health
Doug Brunk Ob.Gyn

"Many things get in the way of women getting the help they need, including the cost of treatment," said Dr. Indman, a women’s mental health counselor who practices in San Jose, Calif. "They wonder how they’re going to pay for it. Many people don’t think that health insurance will cover mental health, particularly something related to pregnancy or postpartum. Usually there is coverage." Limited time is another perceived barrier. With a new baby in your life, "who has time if you’re working or if you have other children in the home?" she said. "There’s also the potential loss of pay from work. How can you miss work to get the help you need if you go back to work after your maternity leave?"

Onset Timing, Thoughts of Self-harm, and Diagnoses in Postpartum Women With Screen-Positive Depression Findings
Katherine L. Wisner, MD, MS; Dorothy K. Y. Sit, MD; Mary C. McShea, MS............
JAMA
The period prevalence of depression among women is 21.9% during the first postpartum year; however, questions remain about the value of screening for depression......

Development of a doula intervention for postpartum depressive symptoms: participants' recommendations
McComish JF, Groh CJ, Moldenhauer JA.

This qualitative study used focus groups with mothers, doulas, and doula trainers to develop educational materials for doulas to help mothers identify symptoms of depression and seek treatment. Findings:......


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In the News

Husband believes woman accused of stabbing baby son suffered from postpartum psychosis. Defendant remains in jail awaiting mental evaluation in 2011 incident
Chicago Tribune
In the days that led to the stabbing, Claudia Mejia seemed "different" and emotionally disconnected, her husband recalled. She complained that she was tired but could not sleep and ate little. She told him she was "scared" but could not explain why......

Wednesday's postpartum psychosis stories
Chicago Tribune
I learned about this postpartum depression story after a northwest suburban freelance reporter, Amanda Marrazzo, began covering the case of Claudia Mejia of Harvard. Mejia, a mother of four, stands accused of attempting to murder her son.....

Defense lawyer speaks out for victims of postpartum psychosis 'The world in which she lived was unreal to us — (but) real to her,' he says of famous client
Chicago Tribune
George Parnham knew little about postpartum psychosis before the Houston defense lawyer took the case of Andrea Yates, who shocked the nation in 2001 when she drowned her five children in a bathtub. She was convicted of murder, but the case was overturned on appeal........


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