Liz Szabo did a nice piece in USA Today on Wednesday about the role pediatricans can play in paying attention to the health of mothers. She uses the example of new mom Tracy Hart, whose pediatrician recognized she had postpartum depression and convinced her to get help.
“Although pediatricians are trained to treat children, there are times when they also need to take care of parents, says Everett’s pediatrician, Kerith Rudnicki of Atlanta. ‘As a pediatrician, I can’t treat the child in isolation,’ says Rudnicki, who notes that new mothers make far more visits to the pediatrician than to their own doctors, especially in the first weeks after delivery. And fathers may not see a doctor at all. ‘The pediatrician is the one who needs to be on the lookout for personal problems.'”
Way to go, Dr. Rudnicki! This is how it should be.
For more on pediatricians and postpartum depression, try:
What Pediatricians Need To Know About Postpartum Depression
American Academy of Pediatrics Says All Pediatricians Should Screen for Postpartum Depression
My duaghters pediatrician was the only doctor who even called to check and see how i was doing. She knew my struggle. My OB told me she couldnt do anything for me because anxiety was not a symptom of PPD.
My pediatrician was on top of things also. She had a postpartum screening quiz that she gave to me at my daughter's 3 day check-up and at her 2 week check-up. She also asked me pointed questions about how I was doing. Unfortunately, I was still in a manic phase so I was okay then. I didn't fall apart until Libby was almost 3 weeks old. But I was impressed by our pediatrician checking on the moms as well as the babies.
My son's new pediatrician barely looks me in the eye when we visit. The one he originally had (insurance change) was fantastic. This is a great read Katherine!