Even in the best of times, postpartum depression and anxiety can be tough for women.
But the pandemic has added an extra layer of hardship to new moms at a time they鈥檙e already feeling vulnerable. There鈥檚 the stress caused by caring for older children stuck at home, or just the fear of getting sick. All of this can all weigh on pregnant women and new moms.
, medical director of the Women鈥檚 Place Clinic at Texas Children鈥檚 Hospital Pavilion for Women in Houston, said that 10 to 20% of moms will experience postpartum depression or anxiety. Those conditions can make it harder for them to take care of their new babies, and affect the child鈥檚 future well-being.
鈥淭here are actually brain changes that come with clinical depression, for example, that impair a woman鈥檚 ability to attach with the baby,鈥� Dr. Horst said. 鈥淪o that has really negative effects on that child鈥檚 neurodevelopment.鈥�
Also, the pandemic makes it harder for moms to seek help. They鈥檙e often cut off from social connections that help them navigate pregnancy and early childhood.
鈥淲omen can鈥檛 go to prenatal classes and meet other moms, or even just go to an exercise class that鈥檚 for pregnant women, and just meet other moms and talk to them about their experiences,鈥� Dr. Horst said.
And the effects of untreated mental health conditions in moms-to-be and new mothers has broader effects on society, including the economy.
鈥淲e found that the total cost nationally of maternal mental health conditions is $14 billion when following the mother-child pair from conception through five years postpartum,鈥� said Caroline Margiotta, health research analyst for the firm .
The firm partnered with the St. David鈥檚 Foundation and Texans Care for Children to study the human and financial cost caused by untreated maternal mental health conditions in Texas. They that those symptoms, left untreated, cost the state $2.2 billion in health care costs and productivity losses in 2019.
鈥淚t incorporates basically the higher work absenteeism and presenteeism,鈥� Margiotta said. 鈥淪o you鈥檙e not necessarily just absent from work, you鈥檙e also less productive when you do go to work. And those who are depressed might also be less likely to participate in the labor force, or they might be unemployed because they can鈥檛 really hold down a job.鈥�
One of the biggest barriers to treatment is lack of health insurance, so these issues can hit low-income families especially hard. But help may be on the way for moms on Medicaid in Texas. would extend Medicaid coverage to eligible women for up to a year after giving birth or miscarrying, making permanent an extension of benefits that first went into place at the beginning of the pandemic. Before that, women lost coverage after 60 days.
Dr. Horst said it鈥檚 a step in the right direction.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 huge. That is such good news,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to extend our care in such a helpful way because postpartum mood problems persist beyond the first couple of months.鈥�
The Texas House has the bill and it is now awaiting hearing in the Texas Senate鈥檚 Health and Human Services Committee.
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