Miller Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) trial: design, method and sample description
2008

Miller Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting Trial: Design and Method

Sample size: 208 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Kemp Lynn, Harris Elizabeth, McMahon Catherine, Matthey Stephen, Vimpani Graham, Anderson Teresa, Schmied Virginia

Primary Institution: University of NSW

Hypothesis

Children born to at-risk mothers receiving sustained nurse home visiting will have significantly better outcomes than those receiving usual care.

Conclusion

The trial aims to provide evidence of the effectiveness of sustained nurse home visiting for children at risk of poorer health and developmental outcomes.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study successfully recruited 208 women at-risk of poorer parenting outcomes.
  • Retention rates were 86% at 12 months and 74% at 24 months.
  • Women who presented for antenatal care before 20 weeks were more likely to be retained in the study.

Takeaway

This study is about helping mothers who might struggle with parenting by sending nurses to visit them and their babies regularly to provide support.

Methodology

A randomized controlled trial design was used, with mothers recruited from a disadvantaged community and assessed for risk factors.

Potential Biases

Blinding of participants and intervention nurses was not possible, which may introduce bias.

Limitations

Low rates of participation at each data point may reduce the power of the study to detect small and moderate effects.

Participant Demographics

Mothers had an average age of 27.7 years, with 49% born overseas, and a significant proportion reported various risk factors.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-8-424

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