This is the conclusion reached by researchers at Cornell University in the longest study on record of the effects of nurse home visits during pregnancy and following birth.
Child abuse is a major public health problem.
More than 1 million cases of overt abuse or neglect are reported each year, and that's probably just the tip of the iceberg. This study suggests that nurse home visits are a promising strategy to reduce child abuse and neglect and to improve the health and welfare of both high-risk mothers and their children. Also knowing that domestic violence can limit the effectiveness of these programs is very important information in planning future child maltreatment prevention strategies. In addition, there was less call on welfare services, hospital emergency rooms and fewer encounters with the criminal justice system when these children became adolescents. The children in the study are now in their late teens.