Lindsay Clancy trial prompts Massachusetts push for better postpartum care
Governor Maura Healey (D-MA) speaks at a Harris-Walz Fighting for Reproductive Freedom press conference at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Nathan Morris/NurPhoto via Getty Im
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is speaking up about postpartum care following the high-profile case of Lindsay Clancy, who was on trial for the murder of her three children after saying she was in the throes of postpartum psychosis.
Governor Healey said her office will be proposing to have nurses provide free home visits to all parents with newborns, and she’ll be looking to update regulations governing mental health screening for new moms.
What we know:
The governor plans to ask lawmakers to approve a $2 million program offering voluntary home visits to roughly 68,000 families expected to bring home newborns this year.
Under the proposal, nurses would be available to answer questions about feeding, sleep and newborn care while also monitoring the mother’s postpartum health. The visits would include screenings for depression and other mental health concerns, helping identify families who may need additional care or support.
Governor Healey is also hoping to invest another $250,000 in the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms and she directed the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to revise perinatal mental health screenings to identify concerns during and after pregnancy.
What they're saying:
"To every mom who has struggled with her mental health before, during or after pregnancy, I want you to know we see you — I see you," Healey said during a visit to Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Big picture view:
The Massachusetts maternal mortality review committee says that 38% of the deaths of pregnant women and new mothers from 2019 to 2024 were due to mental illnesses, including substance abuse disorder. They concluded 85% of those deaths could have been prevented.
The backstory:
Lindsay Clancy was charged with the murder of her three children in 2023. Authorities, as well as her defense, admitted to Clancy killing the three children before she tried to take her own life. A jury was not able to come to a unanimous decision after her attorneys argued she should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from an episode of postpartum psychosis.
Timeline:
Healey had previously signed a 2024 law that expanded access to doulas, midwives and birth centers, while requiring insurers to cover postpartum depression screenings.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from Orlando.