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Low levels of choline in pregnant Black American women associated with higher levels of stress (Mirage News)

NOVEMBER 17, 2020 5:08 AM AEDT Women with lower levels of choline delivered prematurely by 2 weeks, increasing risk of later mental health problems for their offspring. Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campu s have found that many pregnant Black Americans have low levels of choline, an essential nutrient that aids in prenatal brain development. Stress caused by institutional racism may play a role. The study, out now in Schizophrenia Bulletin , also found that these...

Effects of prenatal mindfulness-based childbirth education on child-bearers' trajectories of distress: a randomized control trial (BMC Pregnancy Childbirth)

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth . 2020; 20: 623. Published online 2020 Oct 15. doi: 10.1186/s12884-020-03318-8 . Abstract Background: The perinatal period is a time of immense change, which can be a period of stress and vulnerability for mental health difficulties. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise for reducing distress, but further research is needed to identify long-term effects and moderators of mindfulness training in the perinatal period. Methods: The current study used data...

Maternal Mental Health

Like many of you, I’m a bit out of sorts and somewhat disoriented right now. Our collective mental health is deteriorating during Covid-19. Recent stats report an increase from 20-40% of adults struggling with mental illness since the advent of the pandemic. Maternal mental health is particularly at risk. Helping children with distance learning, navigating exposure to the news, trying to keep life a bit “normal”, keeping family members fed and supplied, juggling career and income loss, all...

New Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)

English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe...

When reproductive rights are less restrictive babies are born healthier (Elsevier)

Article by May Sudhinaraset, et.al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine , volume 59, issue 6 (December 2020). Women, particularly US-born Black women, in states with restrictive reproductive rights policies deliver more low birth weight babies and experience greater health inequities, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine [ Please click here to read more ]

For Pregnant Women, Stigma Complicates Opioid Misuse Treatment [thefix.com]

By Amarica Rafanelli 10/22/20, for The Fix.com New and expectant mothers face unique challenges when seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. On top of preparing for motherhood, expectant mothers often face barriers to accessing treatment, which typically involves taking safer opioids to reduce dependency over time. The approach is called medication assisted therapy, or MAT, and is a key component in most opioid treatment programs. But with pregnant women, providers can be hesitant to...

Colleges Must Accommodate Students Who Are Breastfeeding—Even in Zoom Classes (Ms Magazine)

By Autumn Green, October 20, 2020, Ms Magazine. There are multiple laws to protect the rights of pregnant and parenting students—but they are confusing to sort out. Yet, as educators learn to navigate new learning environments, understanding these laws, and how they apply to remote learning during a global pandemic, is critical. This month, CNN published a story about a Fresno City College student, Marcella Mares, who filed a complaint against an instructor who told her that it was...

In Her Words: Managing Mental Health [nytimes.com]

By Corinne Purtill, The New York Times, October 10, 2020 Over the course of her pregnancy, a woman receiving medical care in the United States can expect to be stuck with needles and prodded with ultrasound wands, to be asked to pee in countless cups and to gamely submit to any testing, measuring, monitoring or poking that might yield data on her body or the fetus. When it comes to mental health, however, the medical care juggernaut comes to a screeching halt. In the United States, many...

Paying Attention to Mental Wellness

Here is a link to a recent post -- tied into Dak Prescott's injury and an article on post-partum depression. Key here is that if you can name feelings, then you can tame them. https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/we-dont-recognize-mental-distress-that-has-to-change-1e23074f2f19 Watch too for a new download: Trauma Toolbox Maker Kit at www.karengrosseducation.com. Should be available by week's end.

NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND: The Repressed Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adult Well-Being, Disease and Social Functioning: Turning Gold into Lead (Dr. Vincent J. Felitti) [avahealth.org]

The ACE Study reveals how typically unrecognized adverse childhood experiences are not only common, but causally underlie a number of the most common causes of adult social malfunction, biomedical disease, and premature death. Moreover, it enables one to see that the Public Health Problem is often an individual’s attempted Solution to childhood experiences about which we keep ourselves unaware. A renowned physician and researcher, Dr. Vincent J. Felitti is one of the world’s foremost experts...

COVID-19: Trauma-Informed Perinatal Care and Maternal Health [psychologytoday.com]

By Ann Diamond Weinstein, Psychology Today, September 28, 2020 The experience of life during the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 guidelines for perinatal care have changed the maternal-fetal experience of pregnancy and birth, as well as the maternal-infant experience during the postnatal period. The neuroception (1) of danger and the potential threat to one’s own life and that of loved ones has been sustained since the magnitude and lethalness of the pandemic was fully appreciated.

Free 2020 Virtual Trauma-Informed Care Conference

Each year, STAR hosts a Trauma-Informed Care Conference to help educate the next generation of leaders and build a strong network of Trauma-Informed professionals in the state of Georgia. The conference will be held on Saturday, October 3rd from 10:00am- 1:00pm EST and Sunday, October 4th , 2020 from 2:00pm-5:00pm EST conducted virtually via Zoom.

A new program in Mississippi is helping Black mothers breastfeed. Here's why it's crucial. (upworthy.com)

The Delta Baby Cafe in Sunflower County, Mississippi is providing breastfeeding assistance where it's needed most. Mississippi has the third lowest rate of breastfeeding in America. Only 70% of infants are ever-breastfed in the state, compared to 84% nationally. There are multiple reasons why Black women are less likely to breastfeed their children. First, according to the CDC , maternity wards that serve large Black populations are less likely to help Black women initiate breastfeeding...

Experiences of breastfeeding during COVID‐19: Lessons for future practical and emotional support (Journal of Maternal & Child Nutrition)

By Amy Brown & Natalie Shenker , First published: 23 September 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13088 The COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown and social distancing led to changes to breastfeeding support available to women in the United Kingdom. Face‐to‐face professional support was reduced, and face‐to‐face peer support was cancelled. Anecdotal media accounts highlighted practices separating some mothers and babies in hospitals, alongside inaccurate stories of the safety of...

SF announces pilot program to provide basic income to pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women [sfgate.com]

By Tessa McLean , SFGATE Updated 3:30 pm PDT, Wednesday, September 16, 2020 Mayor London Breed announced today the launch of a new pilot program that will provide a basic income to Black and Pacific Islander women during pregnancy and after giving birth. The 150 women chosen will receive a monthly income supplement of $1,000 for the duration of their pregnancy and for the first six months of their baby’s life, with the goal of eventually providing a supplement for up to two years...

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