Home visiting to families with a newborn child.

OBJECTIVE

To validate child health clinic nurses' observations at the first visit to families having a newborn baby.

DESIGN

The nurses' observations were compared with results from a prenatal assessment of the home conditions and with observations made by a psychologist at a home visit about one year later.

SETTING

A newbuilt suburb of Stockholm.

PARTICIPANTS

373 families with a newborn.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Distribution of observations in subgroups, maximum likelihood, positive predictive value.

RESULTS

A significant relationship between the nurses' observations, the prenatal assessment, and the psychologist's evaluation of the home situation was found. Children from homes assessed as "at risk" by the nurses also had lower quotients at Griffiths' test one year later.

CONCLUSION

Already during the child's neonatal period, the nurses make valid observations that are useful in selecting children at risk of subsequent developmental problems.