User:MiMi2424/sandbox

Proposed Edits for "Health" section of Wikipedia page "Maternity leave in the United States"

 * Changes I made are underlined
 * Changes from other group members are italized


 * New Sources added are listed at bottom of page as 1-6

Child health and development[edit]
'' Studies assert  It has been found that an additional week of maternity leave among industrialized countries reduces infant mortality rates by 0.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, but this statistic cannot accurately be used to predict the effects of significant changes in the length of maternity leave.. [18][19] Longer maternity leave (up to 25 weeks) is associated with a small reduction in post-neonatal and child mortality (Staehelin et al).'' There is also a positive correlation between maternal leave and the duration of breast-feeding.[20] According to data from the 2006–2010 U.S. National Survey of Family Growth, paid maternity leave of 3 or more months for employed mothers is associated with a higher chance of the mother starting breastfeeding and breastfeeding her child at six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently recommends six months of breastfeeding exclusively, and continued breastfeeding as foods are introduced for one year for its medical and neurodevelopmental benefits for the child. Mothers who are not engaged in employment may be more able to participate in consistent breast-feeding, s ince maternal employment can interfere with breastfeeding. babies who are breastfed may be less likely to get a variety of infections and are also at a lower risk for asthma, obesity, and infant death syndrome. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states asthma, obesity, Sudden infant death syndrome, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal infections, and certain infections are all less likely to occur in breastfed babies. [21] Research suggests that breast-feeding has the ability to yield substantial child health improvements in disease prevention and immune system build-up.[22] Moreover, further evidence indicates that maternal care is especially crucial during the first couple of months following child birth, or the time in which American maternity leave is in effect.[23]

Maternal health[edit]
The medical definition of postpartum is the time frame between childbirth and the return of the mother's reproductive organs to their non pregnant state.[24] For women that return to work during this postpartum period, the stress of maintaining a balance between their professional and parenting responsibilities has been shown to weaken their immune systems and interact poorly with their psychological state.[25] Lower rates of breastfeeding may also have negative effects on the mother’s health, as breastfeeding lowers the possibility of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease for the mother. ''Maternity leave over a longer time period is associated with an increase in the health of both the mother and the child. Paid leave with a duration of over 12 weeks is correlated with a decrease in the risk of infant and maternal re-hospitalization. (Jou et. al)'' According to a study on mothers of 6-month old infants using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, mothers who worked more hours experienced higher levels of depressive symptoms and stress due to parenting. They also viewed their personal health as worse when they worked more hours in the time period after childbirth. Maternal-infant separation may cause significant parental stress, depression, and anxiety. Researchers propose paid leave relates to health as it allows women to recover from childbirth and take care of themselves, attend to their infant, visit the hospital for prenatal checkups, wellness, and illness, and manage finances.

Postpartum depression[edit]
Depression is a condition with both mental and physical side effects and can be very debilitating depending on the severity. The risk factors vary from person to person, and women are typically diagnosed with depression more than men. Other than trauma, physical illness, certain personality traits, and previous family history Among other factors, pregnancy can be a cause of depression in women. Symptoms of postpartum depression include a loss of interest in activities, difficulty focusing, thinking, making decisions, and remembering things, anxiety, irritation, slowed speaking, physical pains, and feelings of sadness and worthlessness.[26] In industrial societies, postpartum depression is considered a major public health concern and affects about 15% of women. Postpartum depression also has negative developmental consequences for the child. Research indicates 12 weeks may not be a long enough leave duration for those at risk of developing postpartum depression. Fewer occurrences of depressive symptoms are correlated to longer maternity leave. [25] A study using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort indicates there is a lower likelihood of women developing severe depression  and increased overall health if women take longer maternity leave from work. In addition, more depressive symptoms occurred in mothers postpartum when the spouse did not take any paternal leave. Poor physical health of the mother during the postpartum period is associated with more depressive symptoms, making postnatal health, in addition to employment, a prevalent factor when considering mental health in new mothers. Negative physical health symptoms frequently reported included tiredness, back pain, and back problems.

Summary of Proposed Edits
Under Child health and development, the statement “There is also a positive correlation between maternal leave and the duration of breast-feeding”[20] has unclear wording and the source is from 1999. I propose changing this sentence to “More frequent breastfeeding initiation rates and a longer duration of breastfeeding are linked to a longer period of maternity leave for mothers. Paid maternity leave for 3 or more months increases the likelihood that a mother breastfeeds her child at 6 months, according to a study using data from the 2006–2010 U.S. National Survey of Family Growth,” and adding the more recent citation (Mirkovic, 2016). To give context, I would also add “The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends six months of breastfeeding exclusively, and continued breastfeeding for one year for its medical and developmental benefits in the brain.” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012)

Under the Maternal Health section, I would propose adding more information to expand on the the effect of maternal employment on the health of the mother. A study from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development looking at mothers of 6-month old infants found a correlation between maternal work hours and “depressive symptoms and parenting stress.” The study also found that the mothers viewed their personal health as worse when they worked more hours in the time period after childbirth (Pinka Chatterji, 2013)

Under the heading Impacts of Depression, the text “Any combination of these symptoms …. can help prevent the onset of depression.” lacks a citation and draws conclusions without evidence. I would propose changing the text to “In a study considering the length of maternity leave on maternal health, the findings indicate fewer occurrences of depressive symptoms are correlated to a later return to employment after childbirth,” and adding citation 25 from the current wiki page (Chatterji, 2004). To build on the connection between this article's main topic as it relates to maternal health and depression, more information that could be added follows: A study using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort indicates that in addition to fewer depressive symptoms, there was a lower likelihood of women developing severe depression  and increased overall health if women took longer maternity leave from work. In addition, when the father took no paternal leave after childbirth, there was a correlation to more depressive symptoms in the new mothers (Pinka Chatterji, 2008). For the first year postpartum, poor physical health of the mother post childbirth is associated with lower mental health. Common postnatal health problems in new mothers should be considered when looking at mental health in new mothers. (Woolhouse, 2014) Physical health can likely have an effect on postpartum depression, and depression could in turn contribute to slower recovery and lower physical wellbeing for mothers post-childbirth (Brown, 2005).

Because the content in the Impacts of depression section is closely tied to Maternal health, and studies conducted on this topic relate to both depression and health of the mother, I propose combining these two sections under the title "Maternal health and depression."

Evaluation "Maternity leave in the United States"
This article’s content is mostly relevant to the topic, although some areas are underdeveloped, such as the sections on maternal health, economic deficiency, and foreign comparison. Other areas contain information that seems additional and not entirely necessary, such as the explanation of depression as a condition before mentioning how it ties into women who just gave birth. The only area whose relevance I was uncertain of was “Paternity Leave in the US,” as this article is specifically focused on maternity leave. An alternative possibility would be to hyperlink a “Paternity Leave in the US” page rather than discussing it on this Maternity Leave article.

The neutrality of this article is currently being contested on the talk page. There is a complaint about “left-leaning” language with the phrase “providing” instead of “mandating” maternity leave. Bias within the point of view of the article was not as urgent to me as the conclusions the article drew without adequate sourcing. Specifically, in the Impact of Depression section, the section: “Any combination of these symptoms makes simple tasks seem daunting and almost impossible. Women who just gave birth are already managing recovering from the severe physical symptoms while taking care of a newborn child and adding symptoms of depression to this mixture can be a huge burden on them” is making claims without cited evidence.

Each claim does not have a citation. Specific portions lacking citations include: the history section the part about the 1993 enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the statistic about women experiencing increasing income inequality as they age in the motherhood penalty section. Other sections contain citations that are outdated, such as the number of employees eligible under the FMLA has not been updated since 2012, some of the information on state legislation is from 2016 and therefore not updated, and the ranking of the US in terms of the length of protected maternity leave is stated as “currently” but the source is from 2008.

The section I would like to contribute to is related to health, specifically by adding sources and information to the mother’s mental and physical health. The sections on Maternal health and the postpartum period and the Impacts of depression are both relevant to this topic.

Evaluation for the article "First Wave Feminism"
Content:


 * “occurred during the 19th and early 20th century throughout the Western world” - could be more specific where in the world in introduction
 * “The father of the Enlightenment” .. could specify who this is
 * Add more detail about Wollstonecraft- what did she die from, how did the memoir about her destroy her reputation?
 * Explain connection of early feminism to abolitionist movement further
 * In the United Kingdom Section - “The early feminist reformers were unorganized, and including prominent individuals who had suffered as victim of injustice.” - Needs more than one example of “individuals” who that experienced injustice
 * In the “Criticisms” Section:
 * “It is also said that many of the white fundamental First Wave feminists were in alliance with women of color but stayed silent when they figured they could reach progression for middle class, white women.” - expand/ further explain this point

Sourcing comments:


 * Citations needed in United Kingdom Section:
 * Sex Disqualification Act 1919 section needs a citation
 * Section on Virginia Woolf needs citation
 * Section about Persia could use more citations
 * It did not seem that every fact was sourced with a reference.

Talk Page Info:


 * Part of WikiProject Feminism (high importance) and  WikiProject Women's History (mid importance)
 * Topics: Location (US/UK-centric)
 * Relevance of abortion in article
 * Moving timeline to its own article