The Lindsay Clancy Case and the Gaps in Maternal Mental Health Care
By Kaylee Costa, MBA, IBCLC, PMH-C, CHW | August 2, 2026
Content note: This article discusses the deaths of children, suicide, intrusive thoughts, postpartum OCD, and postpartum psychosis.
The Lindsay Clancy case has become one of the most painful and polarizing maternal mental health conversations in the United States. Cora, Dawson, and Callan Clancy were three children with distinct lives, personalities, and people who loved them. They should not become footnotes in a debate. Their lives matter. Their deaths are devastating.
At the same time, we cannot discuss this case responsibly without examining what happened before the tragedy. Lindsay Clancy had reportedly sought psychiatric treatment from multiple providers. She had taken several psychiatric medications and had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Nineteen days after her discharge, her children died. Her defense argues that she experienced postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder. Prosecutors argue that she acted deliberately and remained legally responsible.
I am not writing this to decide what a jury should conclude.
A criminal court must consider evidence, intent, mental capacity, and Massachusetts law. However, the rest of us still need to ask another question:
What does this case reveal about the way the United States recognizes and responds to maternal mental illness?
The answer is uncomfortable. We have more awareness than we once did, but awareness alone has not created a reliable system of care.
About the Author
Kaylee Costa, MBA, IBCLC, PMH-C, CPST, CHW is a maternal wellness practitioner and founder of Costa Consultation, serving families throughout Greater Boston and the South Shore. Her work spans lactation and infant feeding, perinatal mental health, nutrition, movement, car seat safety, and complementary maternal wellness services. She holds degrees in psychology and sociology, an MBA, and is currently completing her Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health.
Through Costa Consultation, Kaylee provides prenatal and postpartum lactation care, pumping and bottle-feeding support, infant oral function assessment, starting solids guidance, perinatal Pilates, car seat education, Reiki, reflexology, and additional support throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
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