Today, with good anti-psychotic meds etc, I would expect more balanced approaches, but it's still a bloody basic fact that severly mentally disturbed people and chidren don't mix.Andrea Yates was seemingly preoccupied with the idea that she was a bad mother, and guess what, she was obviously 100% correct (though her reasons were those of a lunatic - which she was, which is why she was bad). Even if violence is unlikely, it can definetly have a negative impact on the development of the child(ren) anyway.I have two half-sisters whose mother developed acute schizophrenia, and once she was diagnosed she was out of their lives quicker than a gopher set on fire.

Being a bit of a jackass here, in civilized societies where mental health issues are taken seriously, mothers that are on Haldol or in withdrawal from it, that are suicidal, that show clear signs of acute clinical psychosis (sitting on her bed for hours on end staring at the wall scratching bald patches in her hair etc), whose father has just died, that have a history of PPP, etc, etc, etc, are typically not allowed anywhere near heir kids.Once you display that kind of diagnostic cluster your rights to 'be with your precious little jewels' goes straight out the fucking window, because you're too dangerous for them.

Rusty yates