Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Mental test for new mums

EXPERTS are calling for mental health checks to be made mandatory for all new mothers following a string of incidents involving newborns.

In Sydney this week a baby was abandoned with her umbilical cord still attached, the body of another newborn was found in a bin in Western Australia and last month baby Catherine was dumped on the doorstep of a Victorian hospital.

The arrival of a new baby in the family usually is a time of joy. But about one in 10 pregnant women will experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy - and leading experts believe mental health checks should be routine for all expectant mothers.

The call for a psycho-social test to become as customary as blood tests in ante-natal check-ups across the country comes after a baby was found on the doorstep of a Sydney church on Sunday morning.

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