On a sunny morning in Norwalk, about 20 miles southwest of Cedar Point amusement park, Sara Whidden opens the front door to find a visitor. It's registered nurse Kristen Buder, carrying a scale, a blood pressure cuff, and a backpack full of info pamphlets.

Buder is part of Family Connects Ohio , a program currently offered in 11 counties in state that provides free, voluntary home visits from nurses in the first weeks after birth. Nurses check in with families to help provide resources during a critical time and catch problems early.

One in five mothers experiences postpartum depression or anxiety, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half never get treatment, often because symptoms are brushed off as “typical new parent stress” or because barriers lik

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