Promoting Parental Skills and Enhancing Attachment in Early Childhood

Promoting Parental Skills and Enhancing Attachment in Early Childhood

Child psychological/behavioural disorders such as withdrawal may persist when the psychosocial context is unfavourable. Health promotion strategies (Olds' paradigm) have proved their efficacy in vulnerable populations. CAPEDP project sets out to evaluate a program of home visits in France

This program aims at reducing psychosocial disorders and promoting mental health, social support and attachment amongst at-risk young women and their family. 440 primigravida (pregnant women) will be randomised into two groups. The first group will receive routine follow-up as currently provided by national community health and social services. The second group will receive home visits by community workers. These visits will start during pregnancy and will continue up to the child's second birthday.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being less than 26 years old
• Being pregnant for less than 27 weeks
• Being primiparous
• Living in the study area
• Being socially vulnerable: less than 12 years of education AND/OR socially isolated AND/OR eligible for a public health insurance for people with low resources.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusal to participate
• Not able to speak French
• Having a medical follow-up which necessitates regular contact with health professional
• Not having health insurance
• Persons for whom follow up at 27 months is impossible (evaluation at baseline)