Screening both mothers and fathers for depression beyond their child’s first birthday in pediatric offices – the current standard practice – could identify families in need of mental health and other critical resources, according to a Rutgers study. “Pediatric professionals can play an important role in detecting parental depression,” said lead author Ava Marie Hunt, who performed the research while a student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and is now a medical intern in the Department of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “However, the current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines only recommend that pediatric clinicians screen for maternal depression in the first year of their infant’s life. This is especially important for parents who do not have a regular source of health care but attend the children’s well visits.” To read the full story.