Continued Action Needed: MOTHERS Act Marked Up In Committee.

Please download the fax titled "mothersactinformedconsent.pdf" from the box.net file sharing wizard on the right side of our blog.

Print, sign and fax the document to your representative in the House. The Energy and Commerce committee, which adopted the legislation, considers this bill "non-controversial." Here are the names of members on the House Energy and Commerce committee, starting with chair Waxman and ranking Republican Joe Barton. The contact numbers are located on our blog here , or for download from the same box.net file sharing wizard if you wish to call or fax them.

What could be more controversial than antidepressants for pregnant or postpartum women? Considering the present state of mental health law and the way in which New Jersey's PPD law has been implemented, Congress is utterly remiss not to understand the implications of this bill - which could include more forced treatment than we already have, and which will undoubtedly lead to more drugging of pregnant and new mothers with highly controversial, dangerous psychotropic drugs. These drugs will be used as "prevention" or "treatment" for many women who may actually have nothing wrong with them, as well as those suffering real medical problems that no psychiatric screening questionnaire could ever uncover, health problems that psychotropic drugs can never cure. It is amazing that the story of Melanie Stokes does not concern Congress members and alert them to the atrocites being committed against women and their children every day.

Text of the fax:

URGENT: MOTHERS ACT BEING MARKED UP IN COMMITTEE
TAKE ACTION AGAINST A BILL THAT VIOLATES INFORMED CONSENT

The MOTHERS Act is a bill which will increase mental health screening of pregnant women and new mothers, despite the fact that the widely accepted treatment for women diagnosed with postpartum depression is antidepressant drugs — documented by the U.S. FDA to cause worsening depression, mania, psychosis, suicidal and homicidal ideation, spontaneous abortions, birth defects and sudden infant death.

There is no language in the bill that would assure mothers are given non-drug options or accurate information about the subjectivity of the diagnoses (a checklist of questions) or the documented risks of psychiatric drugs. This violates informed consent and puts new mothers and their infants at risk.

Congress should pass no bill that violates informed consent. Particularly one that could lead to women being misdiagnosed and put on dangerous drugs. Express, written informed consent must be obtained from each patient or research subject. Informed consent requires giving patients accurate and unbiased information including information on what the exact medical diagnosis is, as well as the risks and benefits of recommended treatment, no treatment, and all alternative treatment options.

Sincerely,