Almost 14 percent of Kentucky parents experience postpartum depression symptoms after childbirth. It's time for all Kentucky families to have access to information about and treatment for postpartum depression.
Senate Bill 135 requires the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to make information on postpartum depression and a postpartum assessment tool available on its website, and requires the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to develop and implement a collaborative program aimed at improving the quality of prevention and treatment of postpartum depression.
WHAT IS POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION?
Many new birthing parents experience postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which can include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and more. These symptoms usually begin within the first 2 to 3 days after delivery and may last for up to two weeks.
But for some new birthing parents, those symptoms don't go away and manifest as a long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression. Sometimes it's called peripartum depression because it can start during pregnancy and continue after childbirth. For some, these symptoms can develop into a rare illness called postpartum psychosis.
All birthing people in Kentucky deserve access to the same information about postpartum depression symptoms, screening, and treatment.
Bill Movement:
- Introduced: 2/16/2023
- Passed Committee: 2/21/2023
- Passed House or Senate: N/A
- Accepted by House or Senate: N/A
- Passed Committee: N/A
- Passed House or Senate: N/A
- Sent to Governor: N/A
- Action by Governor: N/A
