Preventive Health and Developmental Care for Children: Relationships as a Primary Factor in Service Delivery with At Risk Populations

Abstract

Developmental preventive health care for children must begin with preconceptual services and include prenatal, intrapartum and post partum follow-up in addition to child health services starting at birth. Promoting health can be relatively inexpensive from the standpoint of the necessary services. Modem child health care in theory has moved from treating life-threatening infections and illnesses to concern for the new morbidity in childhood, which includes behavioral and learning problems. The psychological work the parents need to do, so the baby is accepted by them and other family members, begins in pregnancy and is important to encourage. The Mental Health Model had as the primary focus the development of a therapeutic relationship with the pregnant woman. Nurses with graduate training in parent-child nursing were the providers of intervention. Eligibility was established in in-person interview with the public health nurse.