Poor mental health conditions are the leading cause of death in new mothers in the U.S., according to an article published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Megan Thomas, co-author and a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, noted that, “Very little attention is paid to the mental health component.”
She continued, “Most of the obstetrical literature focuses on preeclampsia, or high blood pressure and pregnancy, hemorrhage and things like that, when in fact, depression, anxiety, PTSD, all of those things are much more prevalent.”
Researchers analyzed data to determine relation between maternal mortality and perinatal mental conditions, causing symptoms such as depressed mood, sleeplessness, fatigue, concentration problems, and change in weight.
Additionally, the researchers reviewed a data published in 2022 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showing that poor mental health conditions have contributed to 23 percent of pregnancy-related death during the period 2017-19.
Based on the data, the researchers found that the number of maternal deaths in the U.S. is alarmingly higher than other high-income countries.
Moreover, the research pointed out that the maternal mortality rate in Black women was 2.6 times higher than the same in White women.
At the end of the article, the researchers recommended that mental health among pregnant women and new mothers could be improved by regular mental health screening, paid parental leave, and easy access to psychiatrists.
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