Dear Colleague,
While the Melanie Blocker-Stokes MOTHERS Act is awaiting mark-up in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, a firestorm has been brewing online. Some fear that the Melanie Blocker-Stokes MOTHERS Act will encourage physicians to prescribe antidepressants to every mother with a postpartum mood disorder. We encourage you to read the bill and learn what the legislation actually calls for. The Melanie Blocker-Stokes MOTHERS Act does not mandate medications or screening for depressed mothers. It does, however, fund efforts to raise awareness, research causes and treatments, and, most importantly, give mothers an opportunity to open up about negative emotions that they may experience after the birth of a child.
We ask that opponents of the Melanie Blocker-Stokes MOTHERS Act instead see it as a venue in which to help research causes of postnatal depression, call for improvements in support systems for mothers, and perhaps educate doctors and women about viable alternative therapies for postpartum mood disorders.
Medical
Updates
Evidence-based recommendations for depressive symptoms in postpartum women
McQueen K, Montgomery P, Lappan-Gracon S, Evans M,Hunter J.
J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2008 Mar-Apr;37(2):127-36.
This article describes the development process of an evidence-based practice guideline for postpartum depression.
Using the Internet to Screen for Postpartum Depression
Le HN, Perry DF, Sheng X.
Matern Child Health J. 2008 Feb 16 [Epub ahead of print]
This study was conducted to examine the feasibility of using the Internet to screen for postpartum depressive symptoms.
Depressive symptoms during late pregnancy and early parenthood following assisted reproductive technology
Monti F, Agostini F, Fagandini P, La Sala GB, Blickstein I.
Fertil Steril. 2008 Mar 1 [Epub ahead of print]
In this study, assisted reproductive technology pregnancies were found to be more frequently associated with depressive symptoms that may persist after delivery.
View More»
In
The
News
Can Dads Get Postpartum Depression?
Indys Child.com, March 1, 2008
James, 35, expected the birth of his daughter to ring in the happiest time of his life, but found it wasn't so. Like nearly 10 percent of fathers, he suffered symptoms of depression after the birth of his child.
'I was terrified I would never bond with my baby'
Guardian.com, March 11, 2008
First-time mother Helen Walsh had the usual fears during her pregnancy, but the one thing she never expected was to feel indifferent towards her baby.
Immigrants at "significantly" higher risk for postpartum depression: study
Canada.com, February 28, 2008
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry has published a study
showing that immigrants to Canada are at an increased risk
for postpartum depression. The author of the study suggests
lack of social support and
cultural stigmas may be partly to blame.
View More» |
|
Events
Calendar
Effects of Adverse Birth Events on Maternal Mood, Maternal Functional Status and Infant Care
When: April 3
Where: Teleconference
Women's Moods: Addressing Depression Across the Lifespan
When:April 25-26
Where: Kansas City, Missouri
Teen Pregnancy Dinner Conference
When: April 30
Where: Westampton, New Jersey
Med
Ed
Resources
Healthfinder
An award-winning federal Web site for consumers, developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services together with other federal agencies.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
The vision of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine is to be the nationally and internationally recognized leader for multidisciplinary information, education, advocacy, and standards in the field of reproductive medicine.
The Online PPD Support Group
The purpose of this site is to offer information, support, and assistance to those dealing with postpartum mood disorders, as well as their families, friends, physicians, and counselors.
This
Month's
Poll
To participate in this month's poll click HERE.
Spread
The
Word
Click here to tell a colleague.
|
|
