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As a clinician, researcher and policy specialist devoted to the prevention and treatment of the ill effects of child abuse and neglect (CAN) I read “Recommendations for Population-Based Applications of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study: Position Statement by the American College of Preventive Medicine” (Sherin KM, Stillerman A, Chandrasekar L, Went N, Niebuhr DW. Recommendations for Population-Based Applications of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study: Position Statement by the...

By Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma Psychology Today, September 30, 2022 Mental health can suffer after extreme climate events. KEY POINTS Mental health conditions exacerbated by natural disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. After a disaster, the number of people needing assistance from the mental health systems strains or exceeds community capacity. There are simple strategies helpers can use to help survivors restore...

by Amanda D'Ambrosio, Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage Today September 29, 2022 Bedside counseling aimed at boosting the emotional connection between moms and their newborns was associated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes among preterm babies, according to a trial from Finland. Infants (average age 30 weeks' gestation) whose mothers participated in the Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) experienced frequency-specific network effects in the brain, mainly observed in the...

By Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/NPR, National Public Radio, September 18, 2022 Many low-resource areas of the world are short on medical technology, including incubators. So why not turn parents into pseudo-incubators? When a baby is born prematurely, a good way to help the baby survive and thrive is simply to hold it close to a parent's naked chest. No technology needed! That's the essence of kangaroo care. It's a method of holding the baby, clad only in a...

By Brianna Bailey, Photograph: Brianna Bailey/The Frontier, The Marshall Project, September 13, 2022 Two district attorneys have targeted mothers with child neglect felonies. NEWKIRK, OKLA. — Early in her pregnancy, Amanda Aguilar struggled with severe nausea that sometimes made it hard to eat. A doctor had previously approved a medical marijuana license for her, so she used pot to ease her morning sickness. Aguilar, 33, said she stopped using marijuana after her third month of pregnancy and...

By Michele Cohen Marill, Photograph by Michael Thomas, Health Affairs Vol. 41, No. 8, August 2022 Abstract: Designed by and for Black women, a St. Louis–based group prenatal care program incorporates trauma-informed care and behavioral health services. Article: Fluorescent bulbs bathe the basement room in bright light as cheerful as sunshine, even though the windows only look out onto office corridors. Richelle Smith stands before a projection screen, her hands clasped, her voice loud and...

By Pooja Lakshmin, M.D., The New York Times, May 7, 2022 I’m not someone who dreamed of motherhood as a girl. Quite the opposite. In my early 30s, I had a recurring nightmare in which I was unknowingly pregnant and the fetus felt like a parasite invading my body. Growing up in South Asian culture, which valorizes women’s childbearing and mothering responsibilities above all else, was one reason for my fear. I also got divorced in my late 20s. Becoming a mom didn’t seem like it was in the...

By Sandhya Dirks, NPR, August 3, 2022 Haley McMahon says every time she hears someone say "you can't ban abortions, only safe abortion," she shakes her head a little. McMahon studies abortion access and she says while women will certainly die because of the Supreme Court's decision, this idea of women dying from back alley abortions is stuck in the past. "I understand why people go to that talking point," she says. "But that's just not where the evidence points." Medicine has advanced over...

Multi-level Public Health Resilience Building Intervention Building Maternal Resilience Through Mindfulness Mobile App Section 1: Background and Epidemiology of the Critical Public Health Issue of Perinatal Mental Health Section 2:Priority population and rationale for geography Section 3: Marketing/Theme Products and Recruitment – Intervention Poster & Radio Ad Section 4: CDC Social Ecological Levels Postpartum depression is a critical public health issue that has been intensified in the...

Just a gentle reminder of a great opportunity to hear from national presenter Ingrid Cockhren - CEO of PACES Connection and Dr. Tyra Turner Whittaker on the topics of minority mental health in honor of July as National Minority Mental Health month . This topic is so important every month, but this month we highlight the importance of providing culturally relevant support by welcoming and hosting these amazing experts. It's free so don't forget to register here for the link. A flyer is also...

A four-part training, Tribal Family Wellness Plan Learning Modules , developed by the Quality Improvement Center for Collaborative Community Court Teams in collaboration with the Tribal Law and Policy Institute , provides guidance for tribal child welfare providers about implementing programs and practices that reduce the impact of substance use on pregnant and parenting families. The goals of the module include reducing the impact of substance use on pregnant and parenting families,...

Image: Bill Greenblatt / Contributor / Getty Images Author: Allison LaCrosse article, please click here. June 29, 2022 I'm a midwife, writer, and advocate. I care for people in all stages of their pregnancy, which includes early loss and elective terminations. This is what I wished more people knew when it comes to language we use for abortions. After 50 years of precedent was overturned with the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, there has been a lot of confusion about what individual...