States receive grants to expand mental health care for mothers, children

The Health Resources and Services Administration this week awarded $12.4 million to help states expand access to behavioral health care for children and pregnant women. The funding will help 18 states integrate behavioral health into pediatric primary care using telehealth, and seven states screen and treat pregnant and postpartum women for depression and other behavioral health conditions. In other news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week reported 918 congenital syphilis cases in 2017, more than double the number in 2013. “When passed to a baby, syphilis can result in miscarriage, newborn death, and severe lifelong physical and mental health problems,” noted Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. The agency said the data underscore the need for early prenatal care with syphilis testing at the first visit and follow-up testing for women at high risk of infection.