Released April 11, 2008
URBANA, Ill. -- Do you know a young mother--a friend or a sister--who's suffering from perinatal depression? Do you want to help but don't know how?
Make plans to attend the "Maternal Depression Forum: Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Families and Young Children," at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 18. This forum will feature a wide-range of experts on the subject and will be held at the Champaign Public Library, 200 West Green St., in the Robeson Pavilion Rooms A & B.
Speakers at the forum will include State Senator Michael Frerichs, Christie Clinic's Dr. Sarah Young, Professor Teresa Ostler of the U of I School of Social Work, Liz Glassgow of the Mental Health Center, Carol Baxter of the Children's Mental Health Partnership, and Mary Fitzpatrick Howorth, a parent who has battled perinatal depression. The panel will be moderated by Judy Argentieri of the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana and leadership co-chair of Champaign County Voices for Illinois Children.
The event is being sponsored by the Family Resiliency Center, Crisis Nursery, Champaign County Mental Health Center, Junior League of Champaign-Urbana, United Way of Champaign County, Voices for Illinois Children, and the Champaign County Mental Health (708) Board.
"This is an important issue for our community," said Brenda Koester, coordinator of the University of Illinois' Family Resiliency Center, which is organizing the event. "Left unaddressed, perinatal depression can lead to attachment problems between the mother and child, affect brain development, school readiness and family functioning," she added.
"We have seen an increase in our clients that present with issues of perinatal depression," stated Ginny Dewar, executive director of the Crisis Nursery, one of the sponsors of the forum. The forum will cover information on additional services and resources that are available in the community.
Also called the "baby blues" or postpartum depression, perinatal depression encompasses a broad range of physical and emotional struggles faced by pregnant women and new mothers.
The Maternal Depression Forum is the first initiative funded through the Child Well-Being Fund. The fund was established to support child well-being research, outreach and educational efforts of the Family Resiliency Center.
To learn more perinatal depression, visit http://frc.uiuc.edu/PerinatalDepression.htm.
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http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news4364.html
Contacts: Phyllis Picklesimer, (217) 244-2827, p-pickle@uiuc.edu
Brenda Koester, (217) 244-6486, bkoester@uiuc.edu
