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Having a baby is a major life change and a big adjustment, not just for moms, but for dads too. Being a postpartum parent puts you at slightly higher risk of depression. We hear a lot about postpartum depression in moms, but dads can have it too.

Jade Elliott sat down with Anna McMillan, LCSW, Intermountain Healthcare, to discuss the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression in dads on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.

10.4% of new fathers experience depression compared to 4.8% of the general male population.

If a mother has postpartum depression, it may increase the likelihood the father will have postpartum depression. In the 12 months following a child’s birth, it’s estimated rates of depression range from 24 to 50 percent for fathers whose spouses experience maternal postpartum depression.

Symptoms of postpartum depression in men:

They may not cry but may feel:

• Frustrated
• Irritable
• Detached
• Angry
• Impulsive

May be more likely to:

• Engage in substance use or domestic violence
• Feel excluded from mother-baby bonding
• Discourage their partner from breastfeeding

Risk factors that can contribute to depression in new or soon-to-be fathers include:

• Personal or family history of depression
• Unemployment or feeling overwhelmed with expectations of your role as provider or father
• Missing attention and/or sex from your partner
• Feeling excluded from the bond between mom and baby
• Lack of sleep after the baby is born
• Stressful birthing experience, baby with special needs
• Conflict between how you feel you should be as a man and how you are
• Lack of social or emotional support

Where can you go for help if you need urgent mental health treatment for PPD or other behavioral health issues?

Intermountain LDS Hospital in Salt Lake, McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden and Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George offer walk in behavioral health access centers that are open 24 hours. Behavioral Health Access Centers provide psychiatric and crisis care for individuals 18 years and older.

Click here for locations.

You can also call the CrisisLine at (801) 587-3000.

Other resources for about dads and postpartum depression include:

http://postpartumdads.org/

http://postpartum.org/services/dads/signs-of-ppd-anxiety-in-men/

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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A home-visiting program called Parents as Teachers is available for most families.

The program  provides parents with child development knowledge and parenting support, so they can provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, and increase their children’s school readiness.

On this week’s episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast, Mandi Peck, a health educator with the Salt Lake County Health Department, explains how this program works and why it’s a useful tool for parents.

PAT gives parents individualized, one-to-one support specific to their child(ren)’s needs and concerns.

There are three areas (domains) we focus on in our home visits: development-centered parenting, parent-child interactions, and overall family well-being.

Some of the things we suggest and work on during a visit includes: reading to the child, using play as education and as a monitor for development, and establishing good daily routines.

We also host monthly group connections so participating PAT families can network, get peer support, and learn from each other.

Any family can participate in this program. For more information about Parents as Teachers in Utah, click here.

To see if you are eligible for the program specifically through the Salt Lake County Health Department, click here.

Parents as Teachers is a nationwide program. To learn about more about it, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Flu season is nearly here, so it’s time to get your flu shot.

Jade Elliott sat down with Dr. Per Gesteland, a pediatric hospitalist from the University of Utah School of Medicine and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss the importance of the vaccine and why you and your family should get it every year.

Influenza vaccine is available. Get your flu shot now – or at least by the end of October.

Influenza vaccination is an essential component of prenatal care. Pregnant women who are worried or confused about vaccination can get information form the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology website, and should talk to their doctor.

Influenza vaccination is recommended for most everyone over age six months.

Children aged six months through eight years who require two doses should receive their first dose as soon as possible to allow the second dose by the end of October.

Insurance should cover the influenza vaccine and it is easy to get at your local pharmacy, doctor’s office or local health department, and at many workplaces.

Influenza is the most common cause of death in children and adults of all the vaccine preventable illnesses in the U.S.

Influenza vaccine is safe and effective and prevents thousands of deaths and hospitalizations each year.

The influenza vaccine teaches your immune system to be more efficient at fighting the virus.

Feeling symptoms of a sore arm, muscles, low grade fever or fatigue is not an allergy to the vaccine, those are just some symptoms people can feel when their immune system is learning how to fight an infection.

While you still may feel symptoms of influenza if you are exposed to the virus, the vaccine is designed to help keep you out of the hospital or dying from the infection.

In an average year 3 to 11 percent of people nationwide are infected with the influenza virus and have symptoms from it. More are infected when you count those who do not have symptoms. Rates can also be higher in severe influenza seasons like we had two years ago.

GermWatch.org is a great tool for parents.

GermWatch.org is a tool developed by the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare.

It gives general information about:

1. Trending illnesses in Utah and their symptoms
2. Suggestions to help alleviate symptoms and when to be seen by a doctor
3. Prevention recommendations.

   To learn more about flu season, click here.

   The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Croup is now here in Utah. Most cases of croup are mild, but it can be very serious for infants.

Jade Elliott sits down with Dr. Per Gesteland, a pediatric hospitalist from the University of Utah School of Medicine and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to talk about symptoms and when you should take your child to the doctor.

Parainfluenza Type 1 is Causing Croup in Kids

Typically appears in the fall of odd numbered years and we are starting to see cases.

What are the symptoms of croup?

A “barking” cough, may be worse at night

Raspy voice

Labored, noisy breathing

Fever is possible

Rash

Eye redness

Swollen lymph nodes

Most cases of croup are mild and can be treated at home.

oTry to keep your child calm, as crying can make croup worse.

oMay treat fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

oSoothe cough by breathing moist air. Use a cool-mist humidifier or run a hot shower to fill a bathroom with steam. Or, breathe cool outdoor air by going outside or driving with the car windows slightly lowered.

oDrink plenty of fluids.

oSee a doctor when symptoms are more severe. Premature babies or children with asthma are more at risk for complications.

Click here for the GermWatch page that’s tracking  Parainfluenza Type 1.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Birth spacing refers to the time between one child’s birth and the conception of the next pregnancy.

On this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast, Jade Elliott sat down with Aimee Nussbaum, Maternal Child Health Director, March of Dimes Utah Market, to discuss why women should wait at least 18 months between pregnancies.

What is birth spacing?

Birth spacing refers to the time between one child’s birth and the conception of the next pregnancy. This is also known as the interpregnancy interval.

Approximately 33% of all birth in the United States have short interpregnancy intervals (<18 months); data from 2013-2015 in Utah shows similar rates (31%)

Pregnancies that start less than 18 months after a subsequent birth may be associated with delayed prenatal care and adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, neonatal morbidity and low birth weight. Pregnancies with birth spacing of less than 6 months tend to have the highest risk.

Why is birth spacing important?

There is some data that optimal birth spacing (at least 18 months) may reduce the risk for poor birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight.

March of Dimes also notes that at least 18 months interpregnancy interval is recommended and while there’s also discussion about what that exact number really is (at least 18 months or longer), the focus really is to have the pregnancies adequately spaced to provide the best outcome for moms and babies. What we know is that planned pregnancies tend to be healthier pregnancies for a variety of reasons. First of all, there’s data that more and more women are becoming pregnant slightly older age and often after 40. More women also have chronic illness which may be age related or not. Having adequate time between pregnancies and time to plan for the next one, also affords a woman to be able follow up with her provider is she has chronic disease (ie. diabetes) to make sure it is stable or assure that the medications she is on for her chronic condition are safe for her pregnancy.

What are some things that a woman can do with regards to birth spacing and planning pregnancies?

1. Wait 18 months or more after having a baby before getting pregnant again
2. If you are older than 35 or had a miscarriage or stillbirth, talk with your provider about how long to wait
3. Use effective birth control until you are ready to get pregnant
4. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control options

To learn more about birth control options, click here for the Baby Your Baby Podcast on contraception.

For the March of Dimes Facebook community page mentioned during the podcast, click here.

Click here for the Baby Your Baby Podcast on preterm births.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.