An integrative review of home visiting programs for mothers and infants from birth to 12 months in developed and underdeveloped countries

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate home visiting for mothers and young infants, age birth-to-12 months, program goals, interventions used, home visitor characteristics and qualifications, and the program content and outcomes.@*METHODS@#Electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, and Sagepub were used. Eleven studies investi- gating home visiting from 2011-to-2016 were included. Studies were included if they 1) were a primary study; 2) commenced during the antepartum or early postpartum period for mothers and finished before or when the infant was 12 months old; 3) and provided a description of home visiting program in terms of goal, type of home visitor, content, length, and outcomes. Data extraction included goals, activities, home visitor characteristics and qualifications, and outcomes. A descriptive approach was used to synthesize data.@*RESULTS@#Home visiting impacted birth preparedness, newborn care practices, breastfeeding practices, and home environment necessary for maternal wellness and child health and development.@*CONCLUSION@#Home visits in developed and underdeveloped countries create positive outcomes for mothers and infants. It is important to understand the process in order to make it more effective.