I have results regarding what I said earlier. We have already carried out the work. In Quebec, an ongoing pilot project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research seeks to provide an online intervention to improve emotional regulation and shed light on many of the changes that occur during pregnancy.
We aren't just talking about biological and physiological changes, which are already part of prenatal care. We're also talking about the whole psychological component, which is often overlooked. We're working extensively with peer support workers in the province. The postpartum bible contains 300 to 400 pages on the baby and baby care, but only two or three pages on postpartum mental health.
I want to point out something. Right from the start of the postpartum period, we recommend, for example, following the protocol for checking car seats to ensure that babies are transported safely and correctly home. There's also a protocol for shaken baby syndrome. I agree with these routine practices. However, when it comes to child abuse, we know that the parent's mental health is the precursor. In that case, when checking the baby's seat and the risk of the mother or father potentially harming the baby, why aren't we also addressing the precursor, or how the parent is coping with the new situation of living with a baby? The transition to parenthood isn't the same for everyone. This must be taken into account.
At the start, most people are still wondering about the available resources, and how they can access them. Many resources are available to parents right now. However, we still need to work on integrating these resources into health care communities. I also believe that, even in this day and age, we can inform parents about the resources available, and still wonder why they aren't accessing them. The stigma aspect is a major issue.
As Ms. Hippman said, pregnancy is an opportunity to build relationships with the health care system, so that we can better prevent issues within families.