This is the conclusion reached by researchers at Cornell in the longest study on record of the effects of nurse home visits during pregnancy and following birth. However, the study, published in the Sept. 20 issue of JAMA , the Journal of the American Medical Association , shows the visits had little or no effect in homes where domestic violence was moderate to severe.
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.