Mejdoubi, J., van den Heijkant, S., Struijf, E., et al. – 2011
A study of the implementation of the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) in The Netherlands. Discusses the importance of addressing the needs of high risk pregnant women. Risk factors include poverty, substance abuse, mental health issues, and child abuse and neglect. Notes that these factors can cause long-term harm to children, including adult substance use disorders. Describes how the Dutch adapted the NFP model into the VoorZorg intervention program, with goals of reducing high risk behavior among pregnant women and preventing child abuse. Key elements of the program include home visits during pregnancy and through the child’s second year of life and maternal and newborn health care services. Describes design and implementation of the study. Primary outcomes to be measured include smoking cessation, birth outcome, domestic violence, child development, and child abuse. Risk factors for child abuse to be analyzed include demographics, depression, domestic violence, and substance use. Authors hypothesize that the program will prove to be effective once data is analyzed.
