Maternal filicide -- the killing of a child by the mother -- is not a new phenomenon. Evidence of mothers killing their infant's dates back to at least 2000 b.c.e. and the ancient Chaldean civilization. When a mother kills her children, it breaks a cardinal rule that violates the natural course of life -- that is, the maternal instinct to safeguard the survival of her young. Andrea Yates captured public attention when she drowned her five children in 2001. Initially met with public shock and outrage, the Yates case also spotlighted postpartum psychosis and the intersection of maternal mental illness and the criminal justice system.

IntroductionFoundation I: Legal Aspects Surrounding Maternal Infanticide and FilicideChapter 1. Honoring the Legacy of the Andrea Yates CaseChapter 2. Becoming A Legal Expert in Infanticide and Filicide Cases in the United StatesChapter 3. A Ground-Breaking Illinois Postpartum Law Brings Hope for Change in the United StatesChapter 4. Delineating the Meaning of Disturbance of Mind in Canadian Infanticide LawChapter 5. Fathers and Filicide: Mental Illness and OutcomesFoundation II: The Impact of Perinatal Psychiatric Complications in Maternal Infanticide and FilicideChapter 6. Role of Perinatal Psychiatric Complications in Infanticide and FilicideChapter 7. Altruistic Filicide: A Trauma-Informed PerspectiveChapter 8. Understanding the Mysteries of Pregnancy DenialFoundation III: The Role of the Expert Witness in Maternal Infanticide and Filicide CasesChapter 9. Reflections of an Expert Witness in the Andrea Yates CaseChapter 10. Becoming an Expert Witness in Maternal Filicide CasesChapter 11. Writing the Maternal Filicide Report: Pearls of Wisdom for Expert WitnessesFoundation IV: Sociocultural Considerations and Feminist Approaches to Prevention and TreatmentChapter 12. Maternal Filicide in Canadian News: A Decade in ReviewChapter 13. Trauma and Attachment: Preventing Maternal Filicide Through the GenerationsChapter 14. Maternal Filicide in Malaysia: Structural Inequality and Cultural DisparityChapter 15. Postpartum Support International: A Leading Resource Center for Maternal Filicide in the United StatesClinical Cases: Application of Foundations and Practical ConsiderationsChapter 16. Clinical Case 1: The Dark Side of Mother: A Clinical Case in ItalyChapter 17. Clinical Case 2: Falling Between the Cracks of Medical Care: A Case of Infanticide in South AfricaGlossary