ENROLLED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 59
BY REPRESENTATIVE DUPLESSIS
A RESOLUTION
To designate May 2021 as Maternal Mental Health Month in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, each year, approximately 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women
worldwide who have recently given birth experience a maternal mental health issue,
primarily depression; and
WHEREAS, in developing countries, the rates of depression are even higher, with
15.6% of women experiencing a mental health issue during pregnancy and 19.8% after child
birth; and
WHEREAS, maternal depression is a common health issue that impacts many
women during and after pregnancy, and if left untreated, it can have serious medical,
societal, and economic consequences on women, infants, and families; and
WHEREAS, pregnant women who have untreated depression are more likely to have
a premature birth or a low-birthweight baby; and
WHEREAS, postpartum depression can begin any time after delivery and last up to
a year; and
WHEREAS, postpartum depression is the most underdiagnosed and common
pregnancy complication and is one that makes it difficult for mother and child to bond,
which itself may have long-term effects on cognitive development; and
WHEREAS, symptoms of postpartum depression, which include depressed mood,
loss of interest in daily activities, sleep or appetite disturbance, feelings of guilt, and poor
concentration, can last longer and differ from symptoms of the "baby blues", which typically
resolve on their own within ten days of delivery; and
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WHEREAS, post-traumatic stress disorder occurs in some people after they have
experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event and occurs in as many as eight in one
hundred women during pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, the March of Dimes strongly supports efforts to improve screening,
diagnosis, and treatment for women with maternal mental health disorders; and
WHEREAS, once identified and diagnosed, most postpartum mood disorders can be
treated; and
WHEREAS, mental health screenings are critical components to the identification
and treatment of maternal mental health disorders; and
WHEREAS, depression and maternal stress screenings can be incorporated into well-
child visits and postpartum check-ups, and thus can be administered by OB-GYNs,
pediatricians, and family physicians; and
WHEREAS, symptoms of postpartum mood disorders are sometimes misattributed
to normal pregnancy changes, and thus go under- or unreported, so it is important that
providers and the public are educated to recognize the symptoms of maternal mood
disorders; and
WHEREAS, adequate funding to support services that track maternal mental health
disorders is needed to support research and treatment initiatives.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate May 2021 as Maternal Mental Health Month
in Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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