The Science Chick Report: Evidence You Can Use for Real-World Women's Health – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Science Chick Report: Evidence You Can Use for Real-World Women's Health

Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

Health & Fitness

Frequency: 1 episode/22d. Total Eps: 12

Hosted by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, The Science Chick Report brings women’s health research you can trust to the people holding it all together: birth workers, lactation consultants, doulas, midwives, mental health providers, and nurses. Every episode turns the latest science into practical tools, helping you advocate, recover, and stay grounded in the work you love, even when it feels like you’re doing it alone.

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - medicine
21/03/2026
#92
🇬🇧 Great Britain - medicine
20/03/2026
#74

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://kathleenkendall-tackett.com/
11 shares
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kathleen-Kendall-Tackett-2
11 shares
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/thri/team/members/hazel_keedle
4 shares

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 68%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

Practical Strategies Providers Can Use to Support Mothers (Part 1)

Season 1 · Episode 11

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 • Duration 25:10

Did you know that some of the most effective ways to support mothers experiencing postpartum depression may not involve medication at all?

In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett explores practical, non-medical strategies that healthcare providers and community practitioners can use to support mothers experiencing postpartum depression. Many professionals want to help but feel limited by lack of funding, training, or access to specialized mental health services. Dr. Kendall-Tackett explains that even within those constraints, there are meaningful steps providers can take to make a difference.

She begins by encouraging practitioners to focus on what is possible within their scope of practice. Screening for postpartum depression is an important first step, but it should always be paired with a plan for referral and support. Mapping local resources such as mental health providers, domestic violence services, and community support programs can help practitioners connect mothers to the help they need.

The episode then introduces the first of several non-medical interventions mothers can try themselves. Dr. Kendall-Tackett explains the growing research on omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, and how these nutrients may help reduce inflammation, support brain health, and lower the risk of depression and preterm birth.

For doulas, childbirth educators, nurses, and community health workers, this episode offers practical tools and science-based insights for supporting maternal mental health when traditional treatment options are limited.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction and encouragement for practitioners
(01:16) Scope of practice and taking action
(03:06) Assessing community resources
(04:11) Building trust and addressing barriers
(05:10) Alternative self-help interventions for mothers
(06:18) Introduction to omega-3 fatty acids
(07:16) Omega-6 vs. omega-3 fatty acids
(08:16) Inflammation and mental health
(09:26) Types and sources of omega-3s
(10:26) DHA dosage and population studies
(11:26) DHA’s role in pregnancy and preterm birth
(12:38) Cochrane review and DHA recommendations
(13:45) EPA for treating depression
(15:45) Supplement safety and brand recommendations
(17:37) Omega-3s as adjuncts to antidepressants
(20:36) Bleeding concerns and Faroe Islands study
(22:30) How to dose and choose omega-3 supplements
(24:14) Summary and further resources
(24:48) Closing remarks

Notable Quotes:

(01:09) “If you are creative, there are things that you can do that will make the situation better for new moms.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

(01:44) "Don't give up just because there's not a bunch of funding available. The funding fairy will not suddenly land. It's going to be frustrating.”— Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

(02:10) “The question isn’t always what can’t be done. Sometimes it’s asking, what can I do?” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

(08:43) “ High inflammation means more depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, even bipolar disorder. So that seems to be the underlying physiological mechanism.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

(13:34) “DHA Omega-3 fatty acids may increase gestational age and help prevent preterm birth.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

(17:37) “Antidepressants don’t always resolve depression because they don’t directly address inflammation.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

Resource and Links

The Science Chick Report

The Science Chick Report

Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

Mentioned

Middleton et al. (2018) – Cochrane Review on omega-3 fatty acids and pregnancy outcomes
Hibbeln – Population studies on omega-3 intake and mental health
Michael maes – Inflammation and depression research
“Can Fats Make You Happy?” – Dr. Kendall-Tackett research paper

Read moreCollapse

The Screening Gap: Why Most Mothers Fall Through the Cracks

Season 1 · Episode 9

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • Duration 29:35

What if improving perinatal mental health outcomes started not with treatment, but with asking the right questions — consistently and with a plan? And what if the real problem isn’t lack of evidence, but hesitation, fear, and vague guidelines?

In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett focuses on one of the most essential yet neglected aspects of perinatal care: screening and assessment. This session explains why screening matters, why providers often avoid it, and what must be in place before screening can be effective.

Dr. Kendall-Tackett breaks down common barriers — limited time, fear of “opening Pandora’s box,” lack of training, and uncertainty about next steps — and shows why relying on clinical judgment alone consistently fails to identify depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She contrasts vague U.S. screening recommendations with more specific international guidelines and highlights how poor implementation leads to missed opportunities for care.

This episode reframes screening not as diagnosis, but as a gateway to support. For healthcare providers, community organizations, and anyone working with pregnant or postpartum women, it offers a practical, evidence-based case for why assessment must be intentional, planned, and followed by clear action.

In This Episode:

[00:00:00] Introduction and why perinatal screening matters
[00:01:12] Screening vs. diagnosis: a critical distinction
[00:02:29] Why most new mothers are never screened
[00:03:11] Time constraints and real-world provider barriers
[00:04:41] Why screening without a follow-up plan fails
[00:08:06] Why providers miss depression without standardized tools
[00:10:05] U.S. vs. UK screening guidelines
[00:12:07] The “Pandora’s box” myth and institutional resistance
[00:13:15] Screening as an equity issue
[00:15:00] Pediatric settings as a missed screening opportunity

Military Sexual Trauma and the Silent Crisis in Perinatal Mental Health

Season 1 · Episode 8

Wednesday, January 14, 2026 • Duration 19:10

Do you know that simply serving in the military places women at significantly higher risk for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and adverse birth outcomes, even before combat exposure is considered? And do you know that one of the most powerful drivers of this risk is still rarely discussed in perinatal care?

In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett shines a light on an overlooked public health crisis: the impact of military service, and specifically military sexual trauma, on perinatal mental health and birth outcomes. Drawing from large-scale studies, systematic reviews, and longitudinal data, she reveals just how profound these risks are for pregnant and postpartum veterans.

Dr. Kendall-Tackett walks listeners through research showing extraordinarily high rates of prenatal and postpartum depression, PTSD, anxiety, preterm birth, and low birth weight among military women. She explains how trauma-related stress physiology affects pregnancy, why these outcomes persist even when controlling for other risk factors, and how military culture itself may contribute to vulnerability, even for women who were not directly assaulted.

For healthcare providers, policymakers, and anyone working in women’s mental health, this episode is a call to move beyond treatment alone and begin addressing prevention, screening, and systemic change. For military mothers, it is validation and proof that these outcomes are not personal failures, but predictable responses to chronic stress and trauma.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction and episode overview
(01:06) Growth of women in the US military and vulnerability
(02:11) Defining military sexual trauma (MST)
(04:04) MST vs. combat exposure: mental health impact
(05:18) Physical health consequences of MST
(06:26) Review of studies on pregnancy outcomes
(07:41) Study: harassment, assault, and mental health
(10:04) Mental health outcomes by assault status
(11:07) Study: MST, PTSD, and birth experience

Helping Mothers Heal

Season 1 · Episode 7

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 • Duration 33:05

Birth can be life changing in beautiful ways, but it can also leave women carrying fear, confusion, or unresolved emotional pain, especially when the experience felt rushed, dismissive, or frightening. In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall Tackett sits down with trauma specialist Dr. George Rhoades to explore how Trauma First Aid, a method used around the world in disaster settings, can be applied to perinatal women who have endured traumatic births, medical mistreatment, or overwhelming postpartum experiences.

Dr. Rhoades explains how Trauma First Aid works by creating a safe space for mothers to share their story, helping them identify the problems left behind by the experience, and guiding them toward realistic solutions that restore a sense of control and grounding. Together, he and Dr. Kathleen examine the subtle ways birth trauma shows up, from unmedicated C sections to cold or dismissive medical care, and why early, compassionate support can prevent long term psychological harm.

This conversation offers a clear and practical framework for doulas, nurses, lactation consultants, and anyone supporting new mothers. It also provides powerful validation to women who may smile on the outside but feel shaken on the inside, reminding them that their experience deserves to be heard and healed.

In This Episode:

(00:26) Meet Dr. George Rhoades, disaster psychology expert
(01:09) Understanding trauma first aid
(01:44) The impact of birth trauma
(02:37) Psychological first aid in crisis situations
(02:55) Comparing trauma responses in Vietnam and WWII veterans
(03:55) Addressing trauma in unmarried pregnancies
(04:30) Practical solutions for trauma recovery
(05:16) The importance of hope in trauma counseling
(06:21) Challenges in postpartum care
(10:33) Debriefing and long-term trauma counseling
(13:00) Supporting postpartum mothers
(16:53) The role of supportive friends and family

Cry It Out or Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Sleep Training (Part 2)

Season 1 · Episode 6

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 • Duration 27:53

Forget everything you think you know about infant sleep. What if the secret to better rest for the whole family isn't about training your baby, but about tuning into their needs? And what if science shows that breastfeeding, often blamed for maternal exhaustion, is actually a key to more sleep and lower depression risk?

In this groundbreaking follow-up episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett moves beyond the critique of "cry it out" to present the powerful, evidence-based alternative. She dismantles the simplistic sleep-training model by exploring the complex web of factors that truly influence infant sleep from prenatal stress and parental mental health to attachment security and feeding methods.

Dr. Kendall-Tackett reveals stunning research that turns conventional wisdom on its head: exclusively breastfeeding mothers report more total sleep and better mental health than those who mix-feed or formula feed. She explains how responsive, attachment-based care creates a positive feedback loop of security and regulation, leading to better sleep outcomes for everyone.

If you are a new parent lost in the fog of exhaustion, or a healthcare provider looking for compassionate, science-backed guidance, this episode offers a revolutionary and empowering guide. It’s time to stop fighting biology and start working with it.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction and limitations of sleep training models
(01:15) Domains influencing infant and child sleep
(02:25) Prenatal maternal depression and infant sleep
(04:37) Longitudinal evidence of prenatal depression effects
(05:46) Attachment theory and relational interventions
(06:48) Pilot study: parental education on infant crying

(09:48) Maternal sensitivity at bedtime
(10:58) Maternal responsivity and bedtime routines
(12:01) Feeding method and infant sleep

Cry It Out or Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Sleep Training (Part 1)

Season 1 · Episode 5

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 • Duration 29:05

What if everything you’ve been told about infant sleep is rooted in a century-old theory that dismissed love as unscientific? Are “cry-it-out” techniques really helping families, or just fueling a billion-dollar parenting industry built on exhaustion and guilt?

In this eye-opening episode of The Science Chick Report, the first of a special two-part series, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett takes a clear, evidence-based look at the world of sleep training, challenging both the parenting industry and the pediatric establishment. She traces its origins to the behaviorist movement of the 1920s, which urged parents not to comfort or emotionally engage with their babies in the name of “science.”

Dr. Kendall-Tackett contrasts this outdated view with attachment theory and evolutionary biology, showing that responsive caregiving is not spoiling—it is essential for survival and healthy development. Through a critical review of multiple studies, she asks whether sleep training truly helps babies sleep better or simply teaches them to stop signaling distress.

If you are a new parent, healthcare provider, or anyone who has ever been told to let a baby “cry it out,” this episode will empower you to question conventional wisdom and make informed, compassionate choices for your family.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction: why sleep training needs a second look
(01:06) The business of baby sleep and the modern parenting dilemma
(02:13) Pediatricians and the promotion of cry it out
(03:23) Historical and theoretical foundations: Behaviorism
(05:30) Parenting without emotion: lessons from John B. Watson
(06:32) The rise of attachment theory after World War II
(08:31) Why infant crying is evolutionary, not manipulative
(10:37) What the latest research really says about cry it out
(12:55) Do babies really sleep better or just cry less?
(15:34) When cry it out backfires: findings from Canada and beyond

Did Healthcare Providers Suffer Moral Injuries During Covid? (Part 2)

Season 1 · Episode 4

Friday, November 14, 2025 • Duration 25:02

What happens when the healers become the wounded? When doctors and nurses are forced to make choices that violate their deepest ethical vows? In this compelling episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett explores the concept of moral injury, a term once reserved for military contexts but now emerging as a crucial framework for understanding the psychological and ethical toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare providers.

Drawing from 46 empirical studies, Dr. Kendall-Tackett breaks down how physicians, nurses, and frontline workers faced impossible ethical choices, from resource shortages to patient isolation policies. She explains how these experiences overlapped with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) yet carried a distinct moral and spiritual dimension.

Through striking quotes from clinicians and international studies, she unpacks seven defining themes of moral injury: ethics, high-stakes decisions, moral transgressions, betrayal, psychological wounds, spiritual wounds, and reconciliation, revealing the deep emotional cost of caregiving in crisis. The episode also highlights promising therapeutic pathways for recovery, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Trauma-Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy.

If you care about the mental and moral well-being of those who care for others, this episode is essential listening.

In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction and research update
(00:59) Definition and context of moral injury
(02:17) COVID-19’s impact on healthcare providers
(03:12) Differentiating moral injury from PTSD
(04:16) PTSD criterion A and trauma exposure
(06:16) Healthcare providers’ fears and experiences
(07:30) Key elements of moral injury
(09:35) Ethics and moral transgressions
(11:49) High-stress environments
(12:50) Orientation: immoral acts and guilt
(13:51) Betrayal by authorities

The Science Chick Report: Evidence You Can Use for Real-World Women's Health – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The Science Chick Report: Evidence You Can Use for Real-World Women's Health – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other8

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other8

LinkedIn3

Facebook1