Re: Sound the Alarm -- Stop the Dangerous, Drug-Promoting Mothers Act

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I signed it and commented. Thank you Michele. Love, Joy

[ ] Sound the Alarm -- Stop the Dangerous, Drug-Promoting "Mothers Act"

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/3/20/sound-the-alarm-stop-the-dangerous-drug-promoting-quot-mothers-act-quot.aspx

Sound the Alarm -- Stop the Dangerous, Drug-Promoting "Mothers Act"

Bill S.1375 is currently in the first stage of the legislative process. It was introduced to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on March 11, 2008.

The “Mothers Act” would screen pregnant women for potential depression -- and treat them with antidepressants during and/or after pregnancy to avoid post partum depression.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The latest installment in the U.S. national drive to senselessly medicate all citizens for any reason is the “Mothers Act,” co-sponsored by Presidential candidate Barack Obama, and senators Bernard (VT), Sherrod Brown (OH), and Dodd (CT).

What is the “Mothers Act”?

The following summary of bill S.1375, provided by the Congressional Research Service, explains:

Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act or the MOTHERS Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to:

(1) states to provide to women who have recently given birth and their families, before such women leave their birthing centers, education concerning postpartum depression, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis and to screen new mothers for such postpartum conditions during their first year of postnatal checkup visits; and

(2) public or nonprofit private entities to provide for the delivery of essential services to individuals with such postpartum conditions and their families.

Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the heads of other federal agencies that administer federal health programs, to organize a series of national meetings that are designed to develop a research plan for postpartum depression and psychosis.

Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to expand and intensify research relating to postpartum conditions to carry out such plan.

As benevolent as this sounds, it is undoubtedly just another spoke in the wheel of Big Pharma that runs the United States.

A couple of the problems with this bill are that it doesn’t require full disclosure of risks and side effects of antidepressant drugs, nor does it include alternative forms of non-drug treatment.

It is being promoted under the guise of making sure new mothers are protected from, and given the tools to manage, postpartum depression. Can there be any doubt that many women will be deemed in need of medication?

I believe you will see similar drugging rates to that of the non-mandated Teen Screen program, which results in drug prescriptions for about 90 percent of children who take the screening test.

Going Down the Path of Least Common Sense

Not only have antidepressant drugs been documented to be ineffective, they’ve also been linked to serious adverse reactions such as mania, hallucinations, suicidal and sometimes homicidal tendencies. Do we really want to unleash more of these dangerous drugs on pregnant women and mothers?

How many more tragedies like Yates can we stand?

In case you don’t remember, Yates drowned her five children in the bathtub while on four mind-altering drugs to treat her postpartum depression, which developed after the birth of her fourth child.

It would also be intuitively obvious that taking a synthetic drug during pregnancy could be dangerous, and in most cases ill-advised since they increase your risk of:

Spontaneous abortion

Preterm birth

Stillbirth

Serious birth defects

SIDS

There are many other potential dangers of antidepressants, and if you are not familiar with them it would serve you well to start reviewing them.

For information on non-toxic alternatives, my article “Depression Treatment Options” is a place to start.

How You Can Help Stop the “Mothers Act”

The “Mothers Act” bill was already passed by the House with only three “no” votes. It is currently before the Senate, but there are still several things you can do to voice your concern and help stop this dangerous bill.

Sign the petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-dangerous-and-invasive-mothers-act

After you sign the petition, read and distribute the press release found at http://uniteforlife.org/MOTHERpress.htm Contact your senator(s) by fax and/or telephone

Contact List:

Republicans

Sen. B. Enzi (WY)Tele: 202-224-3424 Fax: 202-228-0359

Sen. Judd Gregg (NH)Tele: 202-224-3324 Fax: 202-224-4952

Sen. Lamar (TN)Tele: 202-224-4944 Fax: 202-228-3398

Sen. Burr (NC)Tele: 202-224-3154 Fax: 202-228-2981

Sen. ny Isakson (GA)Tele: 202-224-3643 Fax: 202-228-0724

Sen. Murkowski (AK)Tele: 202-224-6665 Fax: 202-224-5301

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (UT)Tele: 202-224-5251 Fax: 202-224-6331

Sen. Pat (KS)Tele: 202-224-4774 Fax: 202-224-3514

Sen. Wayne Allard (CO)Tele: 202-224-5941 Fax: 202-224-6471

Sen. Tom Coburn (OK)Tele: 202-224-5754 Fax: 202-224-6008

Democrats

Kennedy (MA)Tele: 202-224-4543 Fax: 202-224-2417

Dodd (CT) - co-sponsor of the bill.Tele: 202-224-2823 Fax: 202-224-1083

Tom Harkin (IA)Tele: 202-224-3254 Fax: 202-224-9369

Barbara Mikulski (MD)Tele: 202-224-4654 Fax: 202-224-8858

Jeff Bingaman (NM)Tele: 202-224-5521 Fax: 202-224-2852

Patty Murray (WA)Tele: 202-224-2621 Fax: 202-224-0238

Jack (RI)Tele: 202-224-4642 Fax: 202-224-4680

Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)Tele: 202-224-4451 Fax: 202-228-0282

Barack Obama (IL) - co-sponsor of the billTele: 202-224-2854 Fax: 202-228-4260

Bernard (VT) - co-sponsor of the billTele: 202-224-5141 Fax: 202-228-0776

Sherrod Brown (OH) - co-sponsor of the billTele: 202-224-2315 Fax: 202-228-6321

Related Articles:

Antidepressants and Violence Suicide Caution Mandated for Antidepressants Did Drugs Cause Mom to Drown Her Five Children?

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