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Nurse-home visiting program may boost child language and mental health

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A randomized controlled trial conducted in Canada and published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a nurse-home visiting program, improved child language and mental health at age 2 years when compared with existing services. Rates of child injuries and maternal subsequent pregnancies were similar in the two groups.

This real-world effectiveness trial involved sustained research-policy-practice collaborations from 2011–2022. Investigators successfully reached/enrolled and sustained engagement with 739 participants (368 NFP, 371 comparison) and their 737 children for 2.5 years of each families’ participation.

“We are thrilled to provide new evidence showing that early adverse childhood experiences can be prevented,” said corresponding author and Co-Principal Investigator, Nicole L. A. Catherine, Ph.D., of Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

More information:
Effectiveness of nurse-home visiting in improving child and maternal outcomes prenatally to age two years: A randomised controlled trial (British Columbia Healthy Connections Project), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2023). DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13846

Journal information:
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

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