A report, Born into care: One thousand mothers in care proceedings in Wales, published by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (Nuffield FJO), calls for greater focus on women’s mental health needs in pre-birth assessment and support in response to the findings.
The study, which looked at 1,000 mothers in Wales whose babies appeared in care proceedings before their first birthday, found 53 per cent reported an existing mental health condition at their initial antenatal assessment compared to 17 per cent in a comparison group.
More than three-quarters (77 per cent) had a mental health-related GP or hospital contact or admission recorded in their health records prior to their child’s birth, twice the proportion of pregnant women in the general population (38 per cent).
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