“Before a child can even talk, she looks to her parents and other adults to confirm that she counts, that her existence means something. Toni Morrison once told me that when a child’s parents enter a room, that child is unconsciously asking herself, ‘Do my mom’s and dad’s eyes light up when they see me? Do they think I matter?’”

What a great statement about the importance of quick and effective treatment for new mothers suffering postpartum mood disorders. The eyes of women in the throes of these illnesses rarely light up at anything. So treatment and recovery is not only important to the health of the mother, but also to the children of those mothers, who even as infants need to know how much they are loved.