Lynn Kemp|Elizabeth Harris|Catherine McMahon|Stephen Matthey|Graham Vimpani|Teresa Anderson|Virginia Schmied
Miller Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) trial: design, method and sample description
Liverpool Hospital|Liverpool Hospital|Macquarie University|Liverpool Hospital|Sydney South West Area Health Service|University of Newcastle Australia|Liverpool Hospital|Sydney South West Area Health Service|Western Sydney University
home visiting programs comprising intensive sustained visits professionals usually nurses first two years life show promise promoting child health family functioning ameliorating disadvantage australian evidence effectiveness sustained nurse home visiting early childhood limited paper describes method cohort characteristics first australian study sustained home visiting commencing antenatally continuing childage two years atrisk mothers disadvantaged community miller early childhood sustained homevisiting trial mothers reporting risks poorer parenting outcomes residing area socioeconomic disadvantage recruited february 2003 march 2005 mothers randomised intervention group received standardised program nurse home visiting interviews observations covering child maternal family environmental issues undertaken mothers antenatally 1 12 24 months postpartum standardised tests child development maternalchild interaction undertaken 18 30 months postpartum information hospital community heath records also obtained total 338 women identified invited participate 208 recruited study rates active followup 86 12 months 74 24 months 63 30 months postpartum participation particular data points ranged 66 1 month 51 24 months postpartum rates active followup data point participation significantly different intervention comparison group data point mothers presented antenatal care prior 20 weeks pregnant household income fulltime employment reported abused child likely retained study miller early childhood sustained homevisiting trial provide australian evidence effectiveness sustained nurse home visiting children risk poorer health developmental outcomes actrn12608000473369