On Call with Dr. Kumar: How mental health is impacting maternal mortality
NEW YORK -- Maternal mortality rates continue to rise in the United States.
A recent study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry suggests poor mental health may be a contributing factor.
About one in four maternal deaths are attributed to mental health issues. Experts in the field are raising awareness and urging policy makers to address the crisis.
Dr. Nidhi Kumar is On Call for CBS New York to explain what's at stake.
"Pregnancy is a psychologically vulnerable time. With these big hormonal shifts, we see a new onset of psychiatric illness, relapse of psychiatric illness," said Dr. Kumar. "Suicide and opioid overdose account for a quarter of all maternal deaths in the United States. And poor access to medical and psychiatric care is a big issue."
She also spoke about postpartum depression risk factors and symptoms, including what to watch for:
- Sleep difficulty
- Change in appetite
- Mood swings
- Sadness or anxiety
- Detachment from baby
So what more can be done?
"Awareness is so big, not only amongst women, but family members. Keep a close eye on those new moms in your life. Clearly, as a health care system, we need to do a better job with it," said Dr. Kumar. "Get yourself as physically healthy as you can before pregnancy. Again, physical health and mental health go a long way.
"Teamwork mentality for when that baby comes -- delegate tasks. Friends and families, surround pregnant women," she added. "Get outside new moms, get outside, get that sunlight, be in nature.
"Finally, there's a lot of data that shows that breastfeeding can be productive against postpartum depression. Again, we want to balance that, we don't want to put too much pressure on new moms," she continued. "But if you are considering nursing your baby, here's another reason why."
