PhD candidate Whitney Wells wrote an op-ed piece in The Progressive Magazine based on research published recently in American Journal of Epidemiology on how paid family leave impacts maternal and infant health. Their research found that state-level paid family leave policies reduce postpartum depression and support breastfeeding. Using quasi-experimental methods, their research examined the impact of policies across six states, the largest study of its kind so far.
Whitney's op-ed draws on these research findings to call for policymaking to make paid family leave available nationwide.