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Evidence of Effectiveness of a Home Visitation Program on Infant Weight Gain and Breastfeeding

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Maternal and Child Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Adequate weight gain is important to reduce the risk of infant morbidity and mortality. Breastfeeding is also important to prevent infant morbidity. Home visitation programs have been used for many years to prevent infant and child morbidity and maltreatment. Nurses for Newborns is a home visitation model with the goals of preventing infant mortality and maltreatment. This study evaluated the impact of the Nurses for newborns program on infant weight gain and breastfeeding.

Methods

We used a retrospective case-control propensity matched model to evaluate outcomes. We received secondary data from Vanderbilt Research Derivative Group and Tennessee Office of Health Statistics to conduct the analysis. Data were accessed for infants born in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and limited to those with at least four NFN visits and no more than 2 days in the NICU. We conducted chi square analysis and logistic regression to test our hypotheses.

Results

NFN infants were two times more likely to triple their birth weight in the first year. NFN infants were also two times more likely to be breast fed at 2 weeks, but this finding was not statistically significant.

Conclusions for Practice

Home visitation models can be effective in encouraging adequate weight gain in the first year of life. In addition, home visitors can encourage women to breastfeed. Significance Home visitation models can prevent infant morbidity and mortality. Few studies, however, have demonstrated that infant weight gain, an important factor in the health of infants, can be enhanced using this approach. In addition, home visitation can positively impact breastfeeding, another important factor in preventing infant morbidity. Findings from this study suggest that the NFN model of home visitation can improve weight gain and breastfeeding, indicating the impact of this model.

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Acknowledgements

The project was funded by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant program entitled “Affordable Care Act Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program HRSA-10-275. The authors would like to thank the Vanderbilt University Research Derivative group, the Tennessee Office of Health Statistics, and Nurses for Newborns for providing data to support this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College for Public Health and Social Justice, Salus Center, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA

    Darcell P. Scharff, Michael Elliott & Gretta Strand

  2. Nurses for Newborns, 7259 Lansdowne, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO, 63119, USA

    Angela Rechtenwald

  3. Mercy Hospital St. Louis, Evaluation Decision Science, 1350 Elbridge Payne Rd, Chesterfield, MO, 63017, USA

    Joshua Allen

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  1. Darcell P. Scharff
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Correspondence to Darcell P. Scharff.

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Scharff, D.P., Elliott, M., Rechtenwald, A. et al. Evidence of Effectiveness of a Home Visitation Program on Infant Weight Gain and Breastfeeding. Matern Child Health J 25, 676–683 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-03072-5

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