By Alana Mitchelson
BERWICK perinatal care specialists had the opportunity to share their work with local and international experts at a Melbourne conference that showcased the latest research and treatment in the field.
St John of God Berwick Raphael Service psychiatrists Dr Adaobi Udechuku and Dr Lucinda Smith were among the speakers who presented at this year’s international Marce Society biennial symposium.
They are also co-founders of Glow Clinic, a perinatal emotional health and wellbeing clinic based in Berwick.
The pair’s presentation featured a video demonstration of parent infant therapy in which the parent and child are in a room with the therapist.
The parent is then instructed to “follow their child’s lead” so that the child is able to express their needs.
“Through this, the parent-child attachment can be improved and reduce the risk of problems later in childhood and life,” Ms Udechuku said.
“The presentation was one of the few at the conference that used video case material, illustrating the effectiveness of the therapy and that our service is unique in providing it in such a comprehensive fashion.
“More members of our team have started being trained in the therapy, making this important therapy available to families in the Casey Cardinia area. It is very unique in Victoria, if not Australia,” she said.
The conference doubled as the launch of the Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health (GAMMH), a coalition of international organisations which are committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of women and their children during pregnancy and their first post-natal year.
Ms Smith said another highlight of the day was a presentation from England’s Dr Nadja Reissland who spoke about using 4D ultrasound technology to examine foetal movements in utero and how babies respond to stress.
“A child’s mental health and wellbeing starts during pregnancy,” she said.
“And Dr Jay Roach’s talk was humorous, honest and refreshingly blunt.
“He talked about his family’s personal experience of post-natal depression including how symptoms can be missed if new parents don’t know what to look for or are worried about speaking up.
“It was quite inspiring to have experts from so many countries come together.
“I hope we’ve added to the international body of knowledge.”
The next conference is to be held in Bangalore, India.
Peri Natal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week runs from 13 to 19 November.
For more information, visit marcesociety.com, www.panda.org.au or www.beyondblue.org.au.
