Police: Award-winning teacher kills baby, self

[Rose Siding]

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Michigan (AP) -- A woman who was honored this spring as teacher of the year killed her 5-week-old daughter and then herself after battling the type of depression that comes with childbirth, officials said.

Daniel Moffitt found the body of his 37-year-old wife, Mary Ellen Moffitt, on the couple's bed Monday. Police say she killed herself, apparently by putting a plastic bag over her head. The baby, Caroline, was found on the couch, tightly wrapped in a blanket and also dead of asphyxiation.

"It's horrific," police detective Thomas Hannon said. "What else can you say?"

Moffitt had been undergoing treatment for postpartum depression, police said. Police were waiting for toxicology reports from autopsies conducted Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Midwest/07/28/baby.slain.ap/index.html

[thebigidea]

1. what a strange headline

You'd think a horrific murder like this would kind of push aside some goofy "teacher of the year" award.

Enough about the babykilling, I wanna know if she won any swim meets!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. No, you can't ignore the award, and it's not "goofy"....

...and to even post such a comment is an insult to most teachers around the country.

The idea of including this fact in the story is to tell readers that this woman was somebody that a lot of people thought highly of, and that nobody would ever suspect of killing her baby and herself.

Additionally, this seems to indicate that postpartum depression is MUCH more serious than anyone has been willing to admit until the last 5-10 years.

On the other hand, your post seems to demonstrate a major lack of human compassion for such a terrible story, and a basic lack of understanding about this dangerous medical condition. IMHO, this isn't a funny story, and you shouldn't have treated it as such.

[Rainbowreflect]

8. My thoughts as well.

Noting that she was an award winning teacher shows postpartum depression can happen to any women.

[Trillo]

16. Why don't doctors prescribe estrogen analogs

in an effort to balance hormone levels to women suffering estrogen withdrawal during post-partum depression?

[thebigidea]

10. Thanks for the lecture.

My point was that an obviously horribly gruesome thing like a murder/suicide seems more important than the fact that she was up for an award. I can see mentioning it in the story, but putting it in the headline struck my sleep deprived brain as odd.

I'm sorry I found it a strange editorial choice... I'm manic depressive myself, and it had nothing to do with belittling mental conditions... just headline editing.

Got any more of that human compassion left over, or is my horrible transgression against taste worthy of continued lecturing?

[sybylla]

11. I thought the same as you BI at first glance

Seemed a rather cheap headline for something so serious with its odd tabloidesque juxtaposition. For a supposedly reputable network, they could have done better.

Postpartum depression isn't a scandal,it's an illness and this story deserved a more respectful headline.

[thebigidea]

12. obviously you're lacking in human compassion or something.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. "Enough about the babykilling, I wanna know if she won any swim meets!"...

You did write this comment on your own, right? That is correct, isn't it...nobody was holding a gun to your head while you typed this comment on the keyboard?

Speaking of editing, maybe you should try it once in a while instead of making comments that give every appearance of being crass and unfeeling. That way, people like myself won't get the idea that you just don't give a shit.

But thanks for proving me correct by the tone of your response.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Boomer]

18. Excuse me, but he was being sarcastic

"Enough about the babykilling, I wanna know if she won any swim meets!..."

This was a sarcastic allusion to the thought processes of the editor, not a statement of the poster's own reaction to the article. Your literal interpretation created the impression of "crass and unfeeling" where it wasn't intended.

[Native]

21. that is how I took his comment also.

[LeighAnn]

29. How much post-partum depression stems from being traumatized

during childbirth?

Very little is natural about childbirth in a hospital,

The AMA clings to long-standing childbirth tradidions that are harmful, HMO worries about the bottom line cause needless labor inductions that are excruciating to mothers.

How much post-partum depression is compounded by a mother's feelings about her childbirth trauma, expected to disappear like magic once the baby comes out?

I don't hear much of this from home-birth mothers.

[SoCalDem]

31. HMOs are eager to boot the Mom & baby out in HOURS..

Childbirth is not an "illness", but it should be given the importance it deserves..

Women who are EXHAUSTED from hours of laboring, SORE from stitches or just the facty that every muscle in their body hurts, or maybe they have a c-section incision...these women are sent home TOO early..

Nurses could probably pick up some of the tell-tale signs of impending problems, if the Moms got to stay a few days..

Lots of women are sent home with a baby who is not nursing well yet, they hurt all over, and yet they are supposed to instantly love this baby and instinctively "know what to do"..

If they were a "work-outside-the-home" Mom , they are inundated by phone calls when they should be resting...ususlly Dad goes back to work immediately, and the enormity of what they are expected to do, can be overwhelming..

Instead of drugs, they need HUMAN intervention and help.. Sometimes, the very act of taking pills, only reinforces the fact that they are "not good Moms"...

[LeighAnn]

33. Yep, Mom was in the hospital 5 days; Grandma was in for 9.

You're right, most women with a regular delivery are home in 48 hours, what is it, like 5 days with a ceasrean?

Too bad

:^(

[SoCalDem]

35. My next door neighbor went home in 6 hours..

They had no insurance, and it was her 4th, so they basically "caught the baby", took her vitals..checked Jason out, and said.."pay at the fornt counter", and buh-bye !!

I was looking after her 3 & 5 yr old for a few days..(we "visited Mom & baby brother" a few times a day, but they slept at my house).. The 9 yr old daughter stayed and helped her out.. I took them meals, so she did not have to cook.. Dad was at work and out of town for 3 days of that first week..

She was a wreck, even if it was her 4th time... It took her a few weeks to "get into the groove".. and she was experienced.. A first time Mom can easily become overwhelmed.. 99.999% never harm themselves or their baby, but.....there's always the other percent who go over the edge..Those are the ones we read about :(

[Pachamama]

34. In my case, I wanted to leave the hospital as soon as possible...

After delivering both my babies naturally and drug-free in hospital birthing suites, I wanted to check out as soon as possible. I find hospitals to be "depressing"....they wanted to prevent me from leaving, I had no desire to stay....hospitals are cess pools of bacteria and illness....no place for a healthy newborn if you ask me...

I think if I read your post correctly you are referring more to the need to "mother the mother"....a better solution (and certainly cheaper) would be to help more Mom's once they go home....Providing a Doula is a good way to help when the husband can't be there and the new mom needs help....

[SoCalDem]

36. I had no choice with my first.. I was in for 11 days..

and was a basketcase for almost a YEAR..No meds...no help...But I was not the norm.. I could have breezed through it if I and our son had not had so many problems.

Thankfully, a nurse who befriended me, kept checking in on us and helped me get on my feet somewhat.

[Pachamama]

37. I'm glad you had help....many women don't....11 days...yikes...

I'm sorry you had such a tough time....but maybe no meds is a good thing??? I'm not completely convinced meds are always the answer...sleep and help can sometimes be what we all need and then if it is serious depression, maybe yes the meds make a difference, but they can be scary too...

How old are the wee ones? Mine are 4 yrs and 7 mos....my Pachababies... :)

[SoCalDem]

39. Hardly wee.. They are 30,26 & 25

we are empty nesters now.. and we like it :) They are all on their own and happy, well adjusted guys :)..oldest married, the other 2 engaged

[Pachamama]

32. Or Natural Childbirth Mom's....

I had both my children naturally and drug-free with a Midwife and Doula - both babies over 9lbs....I don't think has been scientifically proven, but it is interesting to note that I have yet to meet any women who have suffered post-partum depression...fatigue, yes, but not full on depression....

[DemExpat]

41. I ws so terrified of feeling powerless in a hospital delivering my babes

that I did all that I could to have them at home, naturally and without meds.

Both births turned out to be the most empowering and life-changing experiences in my life.

After these births I finally had the power and confidence to meet my psychological and other personal problems head on instead of running from them/retreating into medications as I did before.

I really feel for this Mom and her baby! :cry:

DemEx

[Rose Siding]

9. The award is significant

It demonstrates that she wasn't some kind of flake, but an accomplished woman who cared for children. It highlights post partum depression as a serious illness.

I'd like to know more about why her treatment hadn't revealed the severity of risk.

[sybylla]

13. The severity is unpredictable

Not everyone who has postpartum depression kills their children. And not every thing labeled PPD is PPD.

Every time a new mom says she is feeling down, the medical community slaps a postpartum depression tag on it and as happened to me and most of my friends, the majority of the time women are told to just hang in there, it will get better or go away in a few day or weeks or months. No discussion about how to cope with the serious life changes, no discussion about how having a baby can turn your life into something you don't recognize, no discussion about how to give yourself a break from it all, no information on support groups for new moms and dads.

For some reason it's not cool to talk about how difficult it is for many independent, capable, work-a-day people to suddenly become attached to a very demanding individual 24/7/52 who forces you to live your life on their schedule. Personally, I think we do a serious disservice to new moms and dads. There is this grand assumption in our society that having a baby is the greatest thing on earth and everyone loves a new baby. It's true, but that is only half the story. What never gets discussed is the huge life changes that happen, especially for the stay at home parent. We don't discuss how to cope with all the difficult feelings that come with those changes. We don't allow new parents to express frustration or disappointment or even discuss the exhaustion that comes with the new schedule. Because as a society we never discuss the downside of having a baby, new moms and dads don't know what to expect and they don't have a ready outlet for the tensions that build.

Unfortunately, when they make an attempt to talk about it, we are very likely to give them a pat on the head and tell them that it will get better in a few days or weeks.

Something needs to change about the way we look at having a baby as a society and the support we give to new parents who have taken that step with only half the truth.

[Sequoia]

17. Here's some women who wrote a book about this

www.beyondtheblues.com which addresses this very thing. I'm so sorry this happened. It's very tragic.

[LeighAnn]

30. Why are all these mothers "on treatment" killing their babies?

Could the treatment be the culprit?

Andrea Yates suffering from post-partum depression compounded by grieving the death of her father, wasn't she being "treated" with a coctail of anti-depressants and anti-psychotics?

Hmmmmmm

[Karenina]

27. When I read the headline

it communicated everything I needed to know. I knew immediately another of our "best and brightest" and her "bundle of joy" had succumbed to a neglected, albeit common condition. You're just viewing from another corner, thebigidea. Notice she took herself out of the running too. Hmmm... wonder why that? A "murderess of a child" won an award for being "goofy" enough to care about teaching children? :freak:

Post-partum depression isn't just "hormone adjustment" or "her days," it is a LIFE-THREATENING condition to mother and child. We KNOW this already... :argh:

My deepest condolences to the family.

[liberalmuse]

2. Is it possible to kill yourself that way?

Putting a plastic bag over your head? I don't understand...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. Absolutely...

It's called suffocation, and is the reason all those plastic bags have warnings on them that they not be used as toys or in children's beds.

[liberalmuse]

24. Accidentally, sure, but intentionally?

I supposed you'd have to take some sleeping pills and secure the bag pretty tight. I just found it odd. You'd think the immediate need to breath would likely overpower the desire to die, unless you drugged yourself, of course.

[soleft]

4. That's why many plastic bags have a disclaimer

many children have died accidental deaths by putting plastic bags over their heads.

[madaboutharry]

5. I know a woman whose

daughter killed herself this way. She was 14 years old. Also the writer Jerzy Koinsky killed himself by putting a plastic bag on his head.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. It's usually done in conjunction with a heavy dose, or overdose, of...

...medication. By the time the person is actually starting to suffocate, they're usually unconscious or unable to stop the process.

[abelenkpe]

19. could she have

wrapped her too tightly and accidentally killed the baby?

It's a horrible story. I wish you guys would stop posting these type of stories though. I'm expecting my first baby in five weeks. I know postpartum depression is a serious matter. And it's scary....on top of all the other scary things about being a new parent.

Could this have anything to do with the drugs people are prescribed for depression?

[sybylla]

20. If you're nursing, there is nothing you can take for depression

And you're right, PPD can be a serious matter. Just be aware that "baby blues" and even depression are possibilities and prepare for it. For me, talking to other new moms helped. As a stay at home mom, I also arranged to be "off duty" at least a few hours a week for a well needed psychological break and I worked hard to eat right and exercise to get those endorphines flowing. It's easy to get caught up in juggling all the baby type stuff and forget about yourself. I think my "blues" were more related to serious lifestyle changes brought on by quitting my job and staying at home rather than hormonal. Regardless, it just shows that there are a variety of emotional concerns to think of after the baby is here.

And don't worry. Obviously thousands of babies are born every day and yet we only hear of maybe a few dozen such incidents that can be attributable to PPD each year. We've gotten so that we classify the entire range of low feelings as depression, whether we're just having a bad day or we are seriously clinically depressed. Very few new moms actually get as "depressed" as the ones who make the news.

[abelenkpe]

26. I guess

I'm worrying too much. Thanks for the reply! It made me feel better. Even though I am still heartbroken over this story.

[Krupskaya]

40. Not quite true...

I was on Paxil throughout my pregnancy and for about five months as I was breastfeeding. Just FYI.

[SoCalDem]

22. Mothers of newborns need to be around people..They need help

even if they say they do not.. It's a fairly recent thing where Moms come home from the hospital to an empty house (hubby usually goes right back to work)..

As recent as a generation ago, she would have returned to a grandma or two jostling for "baby-time", aunts, cousins, sisters..there would be neighbors bringing in dinners, and clucking over the baby and volunteering to babysit her older (if any) kids so she could rest..

IT DOES TAKE A VILLAGE,FOLKS..

[Wind Dancer]

23. Well said!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

25. That breaks my heart.

I think postpartum is a much more serious problem than many think it is. I hate to hear stories like this and it happens more and more frequently.

:cry:

[Eurobabe]

28. They probably gave her Anti-Depressants when

a simple thyroid panel may have revealed another problem. Terrible tragedy. Too bad more doctors aren't aware of this!

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/postpartum.htm

[Tight_rope]

38. What a sad story!

[genius]

42. She sounds like a typical teacher to me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. Why do you say that?