Here’s How Texas Can Follow California’s Lead In Reducing Maternal Deaths

One recommendation is to improve care for mothers who experience postpartum depression.

By Ashley LopezMarch 15, 2018 9:30 am, , ,

From KUT:

Part 2 of a three-part series.

Texas officials have been slow to respond to the state’s maternal mortality crisis.

In the last year, lawmakers have passed legislation aimed at improving death certificate data, and they extended the life of a task force investigating why mothers are dying. But advocates are pushing state health officials to do more.

Donna Kreuzer, who sits on the board of the Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas, is one of those advocates. She’s been pushing lawmakers to improve access to mental health care for women suffering from postpartum depression. One of the most common complications following a pregnancy, it affects about one in six new mothers in Texas.

For Kreuzer, the issue is personal. Her daughter, Kristi, had a history of depression, so when she got pregnant about eight years ago, postpartum depression was something Kreuzer was looking out for.

Read more.