BOSTON — It happens to one in seven parents.

Postpartum depression is incredibly common in the first year after a baby is born, and is caused by a major chemical change in the body.

What’s less common but even more severe is postpartum psychosis, a condition that disrupts a person’s sense of reality after they’ve given birth.

It’s a condition that came to the forefront in Massachusetts this past January after 32-year-old mother Lindsay Clancy allegedly strangled her three children and attempted to kill herself.

"This is not happening in every pregnancy, but there is a possibility for it to happen with every pregnancy. So the opportunity for us to be better at educating new moms and new dads," said Rep. James O'Day (D-Massachusetts).

This is not the only time a new mother has injured or killed a child. And it’s because of this rare but serious occurrence that O’Day wants to extend mental health evaluations to postpartum women who have committed a crime, and resources to new parents everywhere across the state to get help before something tragic happens.

"In my years as a social worker I came across some evil people, they were evil," said O'Day. "I don’t believe that moms who have had psychosis fall into that category. I think we need to be at least aware of the potential that something else was dramatically going on within them to create this psychotic kind of behavior."

O’Day introduced a bill this week to address postpartum illness in criminal cases. Requiring a mental health evaluation in any crime committed by a postpartum mother.

It would also create new, centralized resources for postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.

“Pregnant women shouldn’t be ashamed of being identified with a mood disorder or anxiety, but to recognize that there is treatment for it," said O'Day.

The bill has been filed twice before, and has been sent to research. This time around, O'Day says they have talked to experts, and there has been a similar law recently passed in Illinois.

There are resources out there for all new and expectant parents through Postpartum Support International (PSI) if you are concerned or want to be better educated on postpartum depression and psychosis to explore those resources.

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