A bill to require healthcare providers to offer postnatal care and to screen patients for signs of postpartum depression passes unanimously in the Louisiana House. New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis’ said House Bill 784 was written with input from a task force studying maternal mental health.
“This is a real issue, for mothers who have just delivered that also ends up becoming a very real issue for babies and for our children,” said Duplessis.
Robin Gruenfeld with the New Orleans March of Dimes said the bill is about preventing infant and maternal mortality, and that postpartum depression is more common than you think.
“Perinatal depression and anxiety are common with nearly one in five families affected, again one in five. I say family intentionally. The entire family is affected by the mental health of both parents,” said Gruenfeld.
Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley shared with lawmakers how postpartum depression impacted his wife and that it eventually led to her suicide. He said postpartum depression impacts women from all walks of life.
“So, no one is exempt from that and certainly everyone that has to deal with that understands how horrible that existence is,” said Bagley.
The bill now advances to Senate Health and Welfare.
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