Effect of an Intensive Nurse Home Visiting Program on Postpartum Contraceptive Use and Birth Spacing: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is an intensive home visiting program.
• This study focused on individuals with a first pregnancy eligible for Medicaid in South Carolina.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of the NFP program on postpartum contraceptive use.
• To assess the impact of NFP on birth spacing among low-income first-time mothers.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing NFP to standard care.
• Inclusion criteria: first pregnancy, <28 weeks gestation, Medicaid-eligible.
• Outcomes assessed via birth certificates and Medicaid claims data up to 2 years postpartum.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in birth intervals of <21 months between NFP and control groups.
• The NFP group had 11.0% subsequent births vs. 12.2% in the control group within 21 months.
• No significant differences observed in secondary outcomes for birth spacing or postpartum contraceptive use.

Conclusions:

• Intensive nurse home visits via NFP did not influence postpartum contraceptive uptake.
• The NFP program showed no significant effect on birth spacing in this population.