OMG! Story in USA Today today

[McQ]

Warning: Gross, graphic, disturbing and sad.

I am so sad for this child and the older children. So sick and so so sad! I wish people would just reach out if they need help.

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[pritchettzoo]

So *this* is why DH told me not to go to cnn.com... She's smiling in her mugshot: http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/23/severed.arms.ap/index.html

Doesn't the father share some of the blame? He knew she was acting crazy and asked someone ELSE to check on them. When will fathers start getting charged for child endangerment for leaving the children with a sick person??

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)

[Kieransmom]

I read this on my email. How absolutely horrible. This poor child. That mother is NUTS. They said she had already been turned in by the father right after she had this baby.

Michelle
Mommy to Kieran, born 5/9/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030509/1/5/0/+10/.png[/img][/url]

[trumansmom]

I literally almost threw up when I read this.

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and Eleanor 4/14/04

[crayonblue]

Another totally sick prisoner for my mom's prison. My mom is a psychologist in a Texas prison. Andrea Yates is in that prison and this lady will most likely end up there too.

This makes me sick. Lauren is 11 months. I cannot even begin to comprehend. I know PPD is a very serious thing but this seems like something way beyond that.

[starrynight]

It makes me sick and sad at the same time. The system failed her, her dh turned her in and CPS dismissed the case saying she didn't need help. How does someone unbalanced enough to cut their child's arms off and leave them in a crib not need help???? The TX system is totally messed up, there are too many people in it and not enough help, Andrea Yates is from here too.

[kthomp]

OMG. I am shocked, saddened and disgusted. How could ANYONE do that to and innocent baby? I can't even imagine it, and frankly I don't want to.

How awful. Sick.

[steph2003]

This breaks my heart for the family, the father, the mother - just everyone involved. PPD is very serious & until you have walked in those shoes (unfortunately I have) I'd be hesitant to speculate if the mother knew what she was doing. I'm thankful that I was able to seek treatment for my illness & it did not end in something like this. But for awhile there I did feel like I was going out of mind andit did take some time for my husband & my family to sit up & take notice. No one believed me at first when I told them I just *could not* sleep. Even on the way to the ER room my mother was busy making mindless chatter with me (for some reason I remember this) maybe that was her way of dealing I don't know, but my point is even those closest to me did not realize what was going on inside me emotionally so I'm not sure this women's husband could have known. Either that he - like my husband probably figured she'd snap out of it. Plus it sounds like from this article he was at work & he was also quoted as saying she was wonderful with their older children.

I'm not saying PPD or whatever is an excuse for her actions because it isn't but I guess I can sympathize if indeed she was suffering from PPD.

ETA - perhaps I read the story too fast but I never saw mention of where the father turned her in to social services?

[starrynight]

You are so right about the PPD, I've had it and to reach out for help is sometimes terrifying. It was harder for me to reach out than it was to deal with everything else. Thankfully I was never sick enough to harm the kids or myself.


Texas Child Protective Services was called to the home in January after Schlosser was seen running down the street from her apartment, with one of her daughters, then 5, bicycling after her, authorities said. When police and CPS arrived, the child told them her mother had left her 6-day-old baby sister alone in the apartment.

That's from the first link, it says there CPS was involved. And then this
Caseworkers continued to visit the family through the spring and summer, and the case was closed Aug. 9.

[candybomiller]

Stories like this absolutely break my heart. It becomes clearer to me that something must be done to help mothers suffering from ppd. I don't even know what to say.

[steph2003]

I saw that but did the father call CPS or did the neighbors call CPS after seeing her bicyling with her older daughter? I guess the father needs to shoulder some of the blame (if you can blame anyone!) I'm just wondering if the father had any idea what so ever how seriously sick his wife was (or is). I would have to think not otherwise he would have made sure the mother was not left unsupervised with the kids. I know for me after I was released from the ER to the custody of my husband - he had to sign something saying he would take full responsiblity for me & would not leave me alone w/our son until I was under the care of a psychiatrist/therapist. While I don't think anyone thought I was an immediate threat to my son they weren't messing around either. Unfortunately it does sound like the system in TX has some flaws :(

[alexsmommy]

I rarely jump in, but I just have to say something. I am a clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal issues including PPD. Obviously, I have no personal information about this woman, but she most likely had Post Partum Psychosis (also called puerperal psychosis) which is a very serious, very rare form of PPD (although some in the mental health community consider it a completely separate disorder from PPD). Estimates for PP Psychosis are .1% to .2% per births. I know that many, many women see these stories and go into complete panics about their PPD diagnosis, fearing they will harm their babies. PP Psychosis is a break with reality - these people have moments of being (in layman's terms) "insane". By definition, they do not know what they are doing.
I could get on my soap box about the "systems" failure to realize the severity of her symptoms, but I won't. It just irks me that the media doesn't always explain this distinction and causes unnecessary fear in many woman. Women with PPD know that they are depressed/anxious and may even have thoughts of harming their infants/children - however, they understand the difference between fantasy and reality and would not act on this urge, and will call for help if they are feeling out of control. It's a shame that this woman did not receive help previously b/c if she in fact has PP Psychosis, she will most likely respond to medical/psychological intervention and will have to live with the knowledge of what she did for the rest of her life.
If you think you may have, or know someone who may have PPD please, please seek treatment. Women suffer far too much and too long because of a lack of knowledge, embarrassment or fear regarding medication and therapy. If you think you know someone who was diagnosed with PPD who appears to be losing touch with reality - call the police immediately - they will be able to take her somewhere to be evaluated properly.
Ok. I'll go back to my mostly lurking status now.
Alaina
Alex 2-4-03