Relates to maternal depression screenings

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to maternal depression screenings

Purpose or general idea of bill

Requires maternal health care providers to screen new mothers for maternal depression while providing prenatal, postnatal, and pediatric care

Summary of specific provisions

Section one of this bill amends subdivision 1 of section 2500-k of the public health law to define "questionnaire" for the purposes of this section as an assessment tool administered by a maternal health care provider or their agent to detect maternal depression.

Section two of this bill amends subdivision 3 of section 2500-k of the public health law to require maternal health care providers providing prenatal care, postnatal care, and pediatric care to screen the mother for maternal depression by inviting her to fill out a questionnaire that will help detect maternal depression. "Maternal health care providers" are already defined in the public health law as a physician, midwife, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant attending a pregnant woman or a woman or her child up to one year after childbirth. This section also requires consent be obtained from the mother before the mother's results of the questionnaire may be shared with the mother's primary health care professional.

Section three provides the effective date.

Justification

Maternal depression, also known as "post-partum" depression or "baby blues" is a set of serious mental health conditions that can affect women during pregnancy and after the birth of a child. Maternal Depression can lead to significant negative consequences for those affected and their children and families. Mothers experiencing maternal depression can have trouble caring for their new baby, be unable to work or look for work, and may even harm themselves or their babies. This depression can also negatively impact the essential growth and development of families and young children.

Currently there are several accepted screening tools to allow healthcare providers who are already seeing pregnant women or new mothers to detect maternal depression.

Hospitals are already required to provide "maternity care" including education on maternal depression screening referrals during the first 48 hours after the birth of a child (or up to 96 hours for a caesarian section). Although a new mother may be seen by a health professional at her 6 week post-birth checkup and her annual checkup, maternal depression could arise at any point between these visits. However, there are regular checkups for well-baby visits for the newborn that the mother would attend. These are excellent opportunities for the health care professional who is caring for the child to also check on the mother's mental health.

The United States Preventative Services Taskforce recently recommended screenings were an effective tool to detect and treat depression. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians screen mothers for post-partum depression at the 1 month, 2 month and 4 month well-baby visits.

This bill seeks to increase the screening of new mothers for maternal depression by providing screenings for mothers not just at their pre and post-partum checkups, but also at the pediatric checkups of their newly born children. This will help health care professionals better detect, treat and refer patients suffering from maternal depression to get appropriate care.

Prior legislative history

New bill

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This bill shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall become a law.