THE BIRTH of a child is a blessed event, but the following weeks and months can be hell for the 10 to 15 percent of new mothers who suffer from postpartum mood disorders. Symptoms can range from anxiety to sleeplessness to a lack of interest in the baby - and in some rare cases, the kind of dangerous psychosis that led to shocking tragedies. Postpartum depression is treatable through medication and talk therapy, but well-meaning doctors don’t always recognize the warning signs. At a legislative hearing on Beacon Hill this week, one mother recalled feeling so anxious and inadequate that she asked her sister to adopt her baby. When she appealed to her obstetrician for help, she was advised to drink herbal tea.
That’s why the Legislature should pass House Bill 3897, which would require regular postpartum depression screening for all of Massachusetts’ new mothers. The screening would be conducted by pediatricians at their regular well-baby visits, and would consist of a short list of standardized questions that probes into parents’ mental states. Women who appear to be at risk would be referred to a list of qualified mental health specialists. The bill would also call for an education campaign for health care providers.
Some doctors and insurance companies are understandably concerned about legislative mandates on clinical care, especially at a time when health care costs are spiraling upward. But in this case, the screening would be similar to the infant-development questionnaires that new parents already fill out; it would cost very little, take minimal time, and require no change in billing practices. Early detection could stave off far more serious problems for mothers and their babies, whose well-being is deeply linked to the first few months of care. And universal screening would ensure that no woman falls through the cracks. The sooner new mothers can be diagnosed, the sooner they will recover.
