title: The effect of VoorZorg, the Dutch nurse-family partnership, on child maltreatment and development: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Child maltreatment is a great public health concern that has long-term mental and physical health consequences and can result in death. We studied the effect of a nurse home visiting program on child maltreatment among young disadvantaged families in The Netherlands. This study is the first to investigate the effects of this program outside of the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a single blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial that compared usual care with the nurse home visitation program, which began during pregnancy and continued until the children's second birthdays, in 460 disadvantaged women who were pregnant for the first time and <26 years of age. The primary outcome was the existence of a report about the child from a child protecting services agency (CPS reports). Secondary outcome measures included home environment and child behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred twenty-three participants were assigned to the control group, and 237 were assigned to the intervention group. Three years after birth, 19% of the children in the control group had a CPS report. The 11 percent of children in the intervention group with CPS files was significantly lower (relative risk 0.91, p-value 0.04). At 24 months, the intervention group scored significantly better on the IT-HOME. At 24 months after birth, the children in the intervention group exhibited a significant improvement in internalizing behavior (relative risk 0.56, p-value 0.04) but no evidence of a difference from the control group in externalizing behavior (relative risk 0.71, p-value 0.12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of CPS reports for the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group. Additionally, the long-term home environments were improved and internalizing behaviors of the children were lower in the intervention group.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Dutch Trial Register NTR854.
authors.affiliation: EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jamila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mejdoubi
authors.affiliation: EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Silvia C C M
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: van den Heijkant
authors.affiliation: Dutch Health Care Inspectorate, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank J M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van Leerdam
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Heymans
authors.affiliation: De Waag, Center for Forensic Services, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crijnen
authors.affiliation: EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hirasing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D048788:Growth and Development; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D009726:Nurses; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy
references.citation: Child Maltreat. 2010 Feb;15(1):5-17
references.pmid: 19729577
references.citation: JAMA. 1997 Aug 27;278(8):637-43
references.pmid: 9272895
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2001 Fall;13(4):759-82
references.pmid: 11771907
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2012 Oct 4;367(14):1355-60
references.pmid: 23034025
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 2012 Feb;36(2):156-65
references.pmid: 22300910
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1997 Aug;65(4):599-610
references.pmid: 9256561
references.citation: Bull World Health Organ. 2009 May;87(5):353-61
references.pmid: 19551253
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Apr 1;159(7):702-6
references.pmid: 15033648
references.citation: PLoS One. 2013 Oct 21;8(10):e78185
references.pmid: 24205150
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2005 Dec;116(6):e803-9
references.pmid: 16322138
references.citation: Child Maltreat. 2006 Nov;11(4):301-12
references.pmid: 17043315
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2002 Sep;110(3):486-96
references.pmid: 12205249
references.citation: Child Maltreat. 2009 May;14(2):182-206
references.pmid: 19240245
references.citation: Infant Ment Health J. 2006 Jan;27(1):5-25
references.pmid: 28640426
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2009 Spring;21(2):441-53
references.pmid: 19338692
references.citation: Stat Med. 2011 Feb 20;30(4):377-99
references.pmid: 21225900
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;45(10):1179-1187
references.pmid: 17003663
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2009 Sep 18;9:350
references.pmid: 19765299
references.citation: Pediatrics. 1986 Jul;78(1):65-78
references.pmid: 2425334
references.citation: Pediatrics. 1986 Jan;77(1):16-28
references.pmid: 3510017
references.citation: Midwifery. 2014 Jun;30(6):688-95
references.pmid: 24041564
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2011 Oct 21;11:823
references.pmid: 22017924
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 2009 Jan;33(1):45-58
references.pmid: 19167066
references.citation: J Public Health Policy. 2014 Feb;35(1):43-59
references.pmid: 24107788
references.citation: Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2004 Feb;9(1):25-35
references.pmid: 32797621
references.citation: Public Health Nurs. 2005 Mar-Apr;22(2):98-107
references.pmid: 15860065
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 1998 May;14(4):245-58
references.pmid: 9635069
references.citation: Lancet. 2009 Jan 3;373(9657):68-81
references.pmid: 19056114
references.citation: Prev Sci. 2009 Mar;10(1):1-12
references.pmid: 19160053
references.citation: Lancet. 2009 Jan 17;373(9659):250-66
references.pmid: 19056113