"When Lisa Bonfield gave birth to her daughter Adele in late November, she was thrust into the new world of parenting, and faced an onslaught of challenges and skills she had to learn: breastfeeding, diapering, sleep routines, colic and crying and all the little warning signs that something could be wrong with the baby. Bonfield's daughter Adele was only a few weeks old when a registered nurse showed up at her door on Dec. 10 to check on them and offer hands-on help and advice."
"As a city resident who had just given birth, she was eligible for up to three of these home visits from Family Connects New Orleans, a program of the city health department. She didn't need to feed and change the baby, and pack everything up for a car trip to the pediatrician or a clinic. It was a relief; Bonfield was exhausted, and was still trying to figure out how to use the infant car seat."
"New Orleans is trying to catch health issues early and get families off to an easier start by adding extra health visits during the crucial first months of life. The hope is that health outcomes can be improved by returning to the old-fashioned medical practice of bringing the nurse to the family. The Family Connects model has been tried in communities across 20 states."
Lisa Bonfield received a registered nurse home visit through Family Connects New Orleans shortly after giving birth, receiving hands-on assistance with breastfeeding, diapering, car-seat use and other newborn care. The program offers eligible city residents up to three postnatal visits to check on infants and advise families, reducing the need to travel for pediatric care. The initiative aims to detect health issues early and support families during critical first months. Family Connects began in Durham, North Carolina in 2008 with Duke University and has expanded to communities across 20 states. New Orleans launched its version in 2023 amid poor state maternal and infant outcomes.
Read at www.npr.org
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