Hospitals offer improved maternal mental health support

Hospitals are providing improved postpartum support to better meet the needs of new mothers and their families after giving birth. Mental health conditions during the postpartum period contribute to 65% of pregnancy-associated morbidity and mortality. In September 2024, Women’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., opened a 10-bed perinatal mental health unit, with an interprofessional team providing care for high-risk pregnant women and those who have experienced pregnancy loss. The unit, which cared for 43 patients by mid-October, supports women for up to one year postpartum. In addition, the University of Colorado offers an outpatient program for patients with moderate to severe perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, providing more intense treatment than traditional outpatient therapy. (AHA blog article, 1/23/25)