"New Perinatal Mental Health Unit Construction Approved at Woman's Hospital"

Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge has been granted permits to begin construction on a $4.6 million perinatal mental health unit, the first of its kind in Louisiana, to address the needs of pregnant and postpartum women. With maternal mental health disorders being the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., the unit aims to provide support for issues such as anxiety, birth-related PTSD, and perinatal and postpartum depression, which affect one in five women. Louisiana, with the fifth-highest maternal mortality rate in the country, has recognized the importance of improving maternal mental health care, and the new unit is expected to open in September, offering a critical step in the postpartum healing process.