Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Postpartum Depression topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee sends postpartum care information bill to consent, sponsors plan amendments
Summary
Senate Bill 95, requiring the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and birthing providers to make postpartum depression information and an assessment tool available, advanced out of committee 9-0 and was placed on consent; sponsor and advocates said they expect to amend timelines and screening windows based on clinical feedback.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced Senate Bill 95 on Wednesday, sending the measure to the consent calendar after a 9-0 recorded vote.
Senator Julie Rocky Adams, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to post information on postpartum depression and a postpartum assessment tool on its website. The bill also requires birthing centers and hospitals to provide postpartum information to parents and asks health-care providers who deliver postnatal care — including pediatric providers — to invite new mothers to complete a postpartum assessment tool.
Christina Libby, a health outreach navigator with the Homeless and Housing Coalition in Frankfort, testified about personal experience with perinatal mood disorders and urged the committee to “put faces on statistics” so women and families recognize symptoms early and seek help.
Adams told the committee she received late feedback from organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and pediatricians suggesting adjustments. One point under consideration is extending the recommended screening window: while the bill initially outlined six months for an assessment period, research cited to the committee indicates many women do not seek help until about eight months postpartum; Adams said the sponsor is likely to expand the screening window to 12 months as the measure moves through the legislature.
Committee chair Alvarado praised the bill as part of efforts to address perinatal mortality and maternal health in Kentucky. The committee approved the bill and then placed it on the consent calendar to allow additional drafting and amendments in the House.
The committee vote was recorded as 9 to 0. Members said they expect to work with clinical stakeholders on technical changes to wording and the assessment timeline before final votes on the floor.
