Bill Text: NY K00450 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 2023, as Maternal Depression Awareness Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 31-9)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-15 - adopted [K00450 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K00450-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 450

BY: M. of A. Joyner

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        May 2023, as Maternal Depression Awareness Month  in
        the State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It is the custom of this Legislative Body to help increase
awareness of serious health conditions that affect the lives of citizens
of New York State; and

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this  Legislative  Body  to  memorialize
Governor  Kathy  Hochul  to  proclaim  May  2023, as Maternal Depression
Awareness Month in the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, According to the New York State Department  of  Health  and
Office  of  Mental  Health,  there are four recognized types of maternal
depression: prenatal depression, "baby blues," postpartum depression and
postpartum psychosis; and

  WHEREAS, Although all types have similar  symptoms,  the  prevalence
rates,  some  symptoms  and  time  frame of the depressions differ; some
studies also explore postpartum major depression, which  is  similar  to
major depression except after pregnancy; and

  WHEREAS,  For example, "baby blues" is the least severe, and usually
lasts about two weeks maximum after delivery; it is the most common, and
as many as 80 percent of new mothers suffer from "baby blues"; and

  WHEREAS, Some symptoms include exhaustion, crying,  sleep  problems,
anxiety and mood fluctuations; and

  WHEREAS,  Postpartum  depression  (PPD) is becoming more well-known,
and it affects 10 to 20 percent of new mothers; and

  WHEREAS, Symptoms must last more than two weeks to be considered PPD
and not just "baby blues"; and

  WHEREAS, There are also more symptoms associated with PPD,  such  as
feeling  inadequate or guilty, feeling sad constantly, feeling suicidal,
not attaching or bonding to the baby, overly worrying about the baby  or
not being interested at all in the baby; and

  WHEREAS,  Information obtained from the New York State Department of
Health indicates  that  10-20%  of  new  mothers  suffer  from  maternal
depression,  including periods of sadness, anxiety, fatigue and thoughts
of death or suicide; and

  WHEREAS, For more than  1  out  of  every  1,000  new  mothers,  the
maternal depression they experience, also known as postpartum psychosis,
can lead to hallucinations and mania; and

  WHEREAS,  Maternal depression is believed to have contributed to the
deaths of three infants who were allegedly killed by  their  mothers  in
separate  incidents  that took place in New York City in the late summer
and early fall of 2015; and


  WHEREAS,  It  is  imperative that there be greater awareness of this
serious health condition, and more must be done to increase activity  at
the local, State and National levels; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to  proclaim  May  2023,  as  Maternal
Depression Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.