Child Development and Public Health

Diaz, a Plano mother of two children, killed the 3 and 5 year olds before stabbing herself. She said she thought she was saving the children from evil spirits. Laney of Tyler killed two of her sons by stoning them to death while maiming a third. She also had a religious motive: God ordered her to do it to test her faith. Schlosser, also of Plano, killed her 10-month-old son because, as she told her husband the night before, she wanted to “give her child to God” (Floyd, J. & Sinclair, B., 2010). All of these women were said to have suffered from postpartum depression. In this state of being, women hurt those who are dearest to them, not just their children but husbands and other family members, also. My topic is mental health of mothers, fathers, and families in general.

This topic is meaningful to me because any one of these women could have been me. I gave birth to four children in a span of four years; my second and third are 11mos apart. My husband was sole provider and very adamant about his “me time”. I was a very young mother, single one day and mother of four the next; with a husband who didn’t have a clue about how to be a father outside of financial provision. Yes, I had harmful and destructive thoughts from time to time. But then I would look at my babies and would see their precious innocents and vulnerability; if I had given them poison to drink, they would have drunk it. If I had put them on the roof top and told them to jump, they would have done it, simply because they trusted me as their mother; they trusted that my love for them would never do something so tragic. I ask this question “is it important for men and women to discuss mental health issues before conception?

Yes. Because emotional surges are believed to be a natural effect of the hormone shifts that occur with pregnancy and childbirth. Levels of estrogen and progesterone that increase during pregnancy drop suddenly after delivery and this can affect mood. These female hormones return to their pre-pregnancy levels within a week or so. As hormone levels normalize, baby blues usually resolve on their own without medical treatment. However, in some cases they do not, therefore men and women should at least be aware of this and discuss it along with the idea of having children.

Studies are now showing changes in the mentality of men concerning their roles as husbands and fathers. In the past men would spend much less time with babies than mothers do; with some even thinking it unmanly to dote on an infant. Fathers enhance their children’s social and emotional development in many ways and close relationships with infants help men, as well, in reducing the risk of depression. Worldwide, fathers are increasingly involved in baby care, but this varies by culture. Most nations do not yet have policies in place to facilitate father care and then again, some provide paid leave for new fathers as well as mothers.

 

           Postpartum depression is moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later. Most of the time, it occurs within the first 3 months after delivery. This information is news worthy to all men and women seeking to have children some day. Sharing this information and increasing awareness of the importance of discussing mental health issues before conception is something I plan to do with parents associated with my facility through parenting and strengthening families from generation to generation workshops.