“(Washington, DC, October 23, 2020) – Many plans by local, state, and federal authorities in the United States to respond to heat extremes and climate change miss the threat that extreme heat poses to pregnancy, particularly for low-income and Black and brown people, Human Rights Watch and partners said today. Authorities should promote racial and…

and climate change, and COVID-19… “I knew you when your step was swift and your heart was high.” -Al Giddons Faculty Flashback: Jennifer Barkin

Did you know that 10-24% of women suffer from maternal depression? Did you know that postpartum anxiety is just as prevalent? Did you know that Postpartum Depression (PPD) disproportionately affects the disadvantaged? Did you know that all of this is being exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic? Please consider helping Postpartum Support International, Georgia (PSI-GA) in…

Had the privilege to present the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning to Massachusetts State Senator and Chair of the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression, Senator Joan B. Lovely.  Thank you to North Shore Postpartum Help for organizing, attending and asking important questions.  

Albanese, Geller, Steinkamp and Barkin investigate factors that influence postpartum maternal functional status.  Twenty-three clinically actionable factors were identified via structured interviews with 30 new mothers.

https://news.mercer.edu/mercer-professors-featured-on-the-academic-minute-national-public-radio-program/?fbclid=IwAR3i3ziHtd8MH_9Y6sYSqX_7AJq8cCksYO3DMH02pw-rez1ynxe6-enyvHw

This systematic review references self-care as conceptualized in the BIMF and other studies.  It corroborates the findings of Barkin & Wisner in Barkin, J. L., & Wisner, K. L. (2013). The role of maternal self-care in new motherhood. Midwifery, 29(9), 1050-1055. See article:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613820301716  

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are conducting a study to better understand body experiences, health behaviors, and well-being during pregnancy. Participants must be 18-44 years old, be >12 weeks’ pregnant, and must live in the United States or Canada. All participation occurs online – participants are asked to complete a series…

My Colleague, Julianne Mazzawi, is conducting a study at the University of Massachusetts examining maternal functioning in postpartum women recovering from Opioid Use Disorder. She is actively recruiting study participants in the U.S.. The survey takes approx. 15 minutes to complete and respondents receive a $5 amazon giftcard. If you have any leads on recruitment…

“Pregnant women who get infected are more likely to be hospitalized, admitted to an intensive care unit and put on a ventilator, the CDC said in its weekly report on Thursday.” read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/25/health/coronavirus-pregnant-risks-cdc-study/index.html