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Perinatal mental health help vital
Western Mail
|September 08, 2025
IT’S often said that the first 1,000 days of a child's life is the most important in terms of laying the foundation of their development.
‘As spokesperson for early years for my party, Plaid Cymru, it’s a time period that’s often focused on in terms of ensuring good health for babies. That time period from conception to a child’s first birthday is sometimes called perinatal.
But what's sometimes overlooked, is that the mental and physical health of the parents is also critical for maintaining good health in babies.
A lot is said about physical health - you only have to look at the range of pregnancy supplements to see this! But mental health plays a very important role in keeping families safe too.
New and expectant parents are more at risk of poor mental health, and it means that problems like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD and postpartum psychosis are more likely to start or reappear during this period.
This story is from the September 08, 2025 edition of Western Mail.
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