The purpose of this study is to determine the long-term benefits of a nurse or paraprofessional making home visits during pregnancy and infancy.

In a previous trial, a nurse-visitor program and a paraprofessional-visitor program were compared to determine long-term effectiveness in providing prenatal and infancy care. The nurse-visitor program improved the quality of life for both mothers and their children, while the paraprofessional-visitor program produced smaller, inconsistent, and less significant effects. Recent evidence from a 4-year follow-up now suggests that the beneficial effects of paraprofessional visits may increase as children mature.

Mothers and their children who were enrolled in a trial that compared home visits by nurses and paraprofessionals are contacted as the children complete kindergarten at age 6. Assessments are made through interviews given to mothers and standardized tests given to children. Mothers and their children are also observed interacting with one another.

Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participation in "Low Income Women Bearing First Babies" trial