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The "MOTHERS" Act is a Senate bill, numbered S.1375. It will force all hospitals and midwives to screen mothers for Post-Partum Depression. Screening means that a mother that a practitioner feels may be at risk for PPD would be put on psychiatric drugs, possibly against the mother's wishes.
This encroaches upon people's freedoms directly, and could have disastrous consequences. "Education" as described in the bill would allow the practitioner to tell patients almost anything. Those practitioners that are being compensated by the drug company would be in a position to prescribe drugs for which they are rewarded.
Even without enforced care and education, parents are still experiencing nightmares related to Post-Partum Depression treatment. This treatment almost exclusively means psychiatric drugs, which have serious side effects. For one such story, see this story of mother's battle with doctors over Post-Partum Depression.
This Senate Bill comes from the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research Care Act, which was House Resolution 20.
Melanie Blocker-Stokes was given psychiatric treatment and was at the time of her suicide on antipsychotic, antianxiety, and antidepressant medications. She had also received electroshock therapy. The drugs and electric shocks did not help, and yet her mother is persuing giving this treatment to all mothers, despite the fact that it may have killed her daughter.
This bill passed almost unanimously, with only three votes against. For the full details, see 110th Congress Roll Call 963. Those who voted against the House Resolution are:
Ron Paul of Texas
Paul Broun of Georgia
Jeff Flake of Arizona
For more information about the Senate Bill, you can read the text of it here: Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act (S.1375).
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