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Clancy trial highlights need to rethink postpartum care: “The duty is on the system”

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The trial of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing her three children, has renewed discussion about postpartum mental-health care and gaps in the healthcare system.
  • Clancy’s defense says she suffered postpartum psychosis and did not receive appropriate care, while prosecutors argue that she planned the killings and understood they were wrong.
  • Advocates say postpartum care should continue beyond the traditional six-week checkup, citing recommendations for earlier and ongoing contact with maternal-care providers.

The trial of Lindsay Clancy over the deaths of her three young children has moved beyond the courtroom, prompting mothers and maternal-health advocates to question how postpartum care works in the United States.

Clancy’s defense says she killed the children while suffering from postpartum psychosis, a severe condition that can affect a person’s sense of reality. Prosecutors argue that she planned the killings and knew what she was doing was wrong. Her legal team also says she sought help but was overmedicated and failed to receive the care she needed.

We can’t just clear a mom at six weeks postpartum and expect her to figure out the rest of what’s going on for the next 12 months.

— Nicole KumiThe maternal-wellness advocate criticized the limited follow-up after the traditional postpartum checkup.

The case has focused attention on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, a group of conditions that includes depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis. These conditions can occur during pregnancy and through the first year after childbirth. They affect an estimated one in five to seven women, while postpartum psychosis affects about one in 1,000 people after childbirth.

This is not a ‘one and done’ for our moms.

— Nicole KumiKumi argued that postpartum care should continue according to each mother’s physical and mental-health needs.

Traditionally, mothers have a postpartum appointment with an OB-GYN about six weeks after giving birth. That visit typically includes a physical examination and mental-health screening, but there is no standard schedule afterward. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends contact with a maternal-care provider within the first three weeks and a comprehensive visit by 12 weeks, with continued care based on individual needs.

“We can’t just clear a mom at six weeks postpartum and expect her to figure out the rest of what’s going on for the next 12 months,” said Nicole Kumi, founder of The Whole Mom. “This is not a ‘one and done’ for our moms.” Kumi said women often must recognize symptoms they were never taught to identify, then navigate a fragmented system while sleep-deprived, caring for a newborn and possibly returning to work. Drawing on her own experience and conversations with other mothers, she founded The 4th Trimester Program to provide education and support.

We routinely are expecting our moms to recognize the signs and symptoms that they were never taught to recognize in the first place.

— Nicole KumiShe described the lack of education many women receive about postpartum mental-health conditions.
About this summary

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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