PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marissa P. Caan
AU  - Nina E. Sreshta
AU  - Jennifer A. Okwerekwu
AU  - Jacqueline S. Landess
AU  - Susan Hatters Friedman
TI  - Clinical and Legal Considerations Regarding Breastfeeding on Psychiatric Units
AID  - 10.29158/JAAPL.210086-21
DP  - 2022 Jun 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 200--207
VI  - 50
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/50/2/200.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/50/2/200.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2022 Jun 01; 50
AB  - Women in the postpartum period are at especially high risk of developing psychiatric disorders, and in severe cases, they may require inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. Because of the lack of specialized units for peripartum mothers in the United States, this treatment is usually relegated to general inpatient psychiatric units. Despite the clear benefit of breastfeeding for both mother and child, lactation can be a barrier to placement on a general inpatient psychiatric unit and often is not supported during the hospital stay. Limiting access to inpatient psychiatric care for postpartum mothers with mental illness could be considered sex discrimination under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because of failure to accommodate lactation. With improvements in education and accommodations around breastfeeding, general inpatient psychiatric units could provide appropriate care for this population.