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No-Brainer: Parents' health benefits from paid leave

Becoming a parent is hard. New moms and dads must cope with new schedules, new roles, and new expectations. Mothers are also recovering from pregnancy and childbirth and experiencing post-partum changes in their biology. Add to that the financial stresses associated with taking a leave of absence from work &mdash; often unpaid &mdash; and the transition to parenthood can become a perfect storm, triggering mental health problems like post-partum depression.&nbsp;
What can be done to reduce the stress on parents and protect their mental health? Advocates say parental paid leave policies are critical: Paid leave can support parents and offer financial stability, flexibility, and time to bond with their baby.
A new <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00311-5/fulltext">systematic review</a> examined the international evidence on the association between parental leave and mental health among parents, including the effects of payment and duration.&nbsp;Here's what it found: 
<img src="https://wmnhealthpublicfiles.blob.core.windows.net/publicfiles/MediaLibrary/a4a29de0_fed1_462b_92ba_2ffa95e99bf0_77ce650b2d.jpeg" alt="Paid parental leave and health" width="1250" height="917" />

References:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">U.S. Department of Labor. <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla">Family and Medical Leave Act.&nbsp;</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Heshmati, A., Honkaniemi, H. and Juarez S.P. (2023). <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00311-5/fulltext">The effect of parental leave on parents' mental health: a systematic review.</a> The Lancet Public Health. 8(1): E57-75.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

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