title: The effect of early postpartum home visits by health visitors: a natural experiment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess if the absence of early home visits influenced the mothers' breastfeeding duration and use of medical services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from mothers who had given birth during a strike period were compared with data from a reference period with usual work practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 3,834 newborn and 375 health visitors, 75 of whom worked during the strike period.
  
  
  METHODS
  All families were offered nonstandardized home visits after discharge in the reference period. During the strike, the service was based on individual risk assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, no difference in breastfeeding duration between the two periods was seen, but unvisited mothers in the strike period had shorter durations of full breastfeeding than a comparable group of mothers in the reference period (p < .005). Moreover, mothers in the strike period reported a significantly higher use of medical services. The mothers' needs for postnatal visits differed depending on parity: primiparae underlined uncertainty, multiparae underlined previous breastfeeding experience. Mothers had missed out on guidance on all areas of the health visitors' service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonstandardized home visits by health visitors were associated with a longer breastfeeding duration. The postnatal visits depended on parity and unmet needs increased the use of medical services.
authors: Department of Nursing Science, School of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. hk@nursingscience.au.dk
authors: Hanne
authors: H
authors: Kronborg
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Vaeth
authors: Ingeborg
authors: I
authors: Kristensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors