In an effort to improve maternal and family health, Bryan Health has rolled out a pair of new resources. One is an online screening tool for postpartum depression and the other teal wristbands for postpartum patients after delivery.
“All parents deserve the best start for themselves and their baby,” says Alexa Lewis, director, women’s and children’s services at Bryan Medical Center. “By strengthening support and education, we can help ensure healthier pregnancies and safer recoveries. This will also help families feel more confident and supported through pregnancy and beyond.”
Postpartum depression is the newest addition to Bryan’s online mental health screenings. The condition can be serious and require support and treatment. It can also increase the risk of early labor, low birth weight, complications before and after delivery and problems breastfeeding.
Lewis says depression affects about one in seven women and one in ten men during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth. It can make it difficult to keep up with doctor visits, eat well, sleep properly and provide care for baby.
She tells KLIN News common symptoms include feeling sad, hopeless or empty, being very tired or having no energy, feeling angry, anxious or irritable and trouble bonding with the baby. Bryan is also participating in a new program called Postpartum Alert: A Life-Saving Maternal Safety Initiative.
Lewis says it’s a program designed to reduce maternal mortality and improve postpartum care throughout the state. “Postpartum Alert employs a visual system in which teal wristbands are given to postpartum patients to wear during the critical six-week period after delivery.”
The bands ensure all medical staff and providers are aware of postpartum status during follow-up appointments or for potentially life-threatening complications after birth. An example of this is a woman experiencing shortness of breath after recently delivering a baby and could have a serious condition like blood clots in her lungs.
Fore more information and to take a screening click here.