Bleil and de Castro Publish in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Journal
Posted: 8/6/2026 ()
CSDE Affiliate Maria Bleil (Child, Family & Population Health Nursing), External Affiliate Butch de Castro (Seattle University), and their co-authors recently published a research article in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth titled, “Expanded adverse childhood experiences and postpartum mental health among an under-resourced sample of Spanish- and English-speaking mothers referred for community-based mental health services during pregnancy.” Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) historically include 10 types of adversities (the “Conventional 10”) developed in the context of the landmark CDC-Kaiser ACEs study. These 10 ACEs are associated with an increased risk of perinatal depression and anxiety, but they may also overlook traumas that harm disadvantaged and minoritized groups. In this study. Dr. Bleil, Dr. de Castro, and co-authors investigated an Expanded set of ACEs (the Conventional 10 plus five additional) among a sample of Spanish- and English-speaking postpartum mothers who had previously received a referral for a prenatal mental health concern from a community-based service providing care to under-resourced populations. To read the full research article visit this link.