Maternal and Infant Health Home Visiting
Making a measurable difference in our community
OhioHealth has been providing comprehensive prenatal and postpartum support to high-risk teens and expectant mothers and their families since 2011 through early home visiting initiatives. Home visitors meet with parents one-on-one throughout pregnancy to help lay the foundation for the health, education, development and economic self-sufficiency of the entire family.
This approach to care is the most direct and effective way to influence the social determinants of reproductive health, reduce the rate of teen pregnancy, and promote healthy birth spacing.
Healthy Adolescent Transitions
Healthy Adolescent Transitions (HAT) program supports teen mothers with contraception, financial literacy, educational/career attainment, and healthy life skills, including vaccination, medical homes and nutrition.
For more information and to purchase the program curriculum toolkit, please visit: https://www.etr.org/store/product/healthy-adolescent-transitions-curriculum-bundle.
Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy
The Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy (TOPP) program was designed to reduce rapid repeat teen births by helping young women identify goals, achieve self-sufficiency, access housing and financial stability, develop successful parenting skills and establish healthy relationships. The Administration from Children and Families provided OhioHealth with funding for TOPP initiatives from 2010 to 2016*.
The three components of the program were:
- Home-based and phone-based care coordination, using motivational interviewing.
- Access to contraceptive counseling, using a leased van.
- Psychosocial assessments.
Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy acknowledged the importance of caring for with the whole teenager, emotionally and physically, a reflection of OhioHealth’s commitment to honor the dignity and worth of each person.
Results of TOPP
OhioHealth conducted a randomized controlled trial with 600 participants to test the efficacy of the TOPP program. According to an April 2016 U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) evidence review, an evaluation found that TOPP participants were more likely to report using a highly effective long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) method, and less likely to report having sex in the past three months. Participants also reported greater access to contraceptive services.
The Final Impact Report shows that the program had a nearly 50 percent reduction in rapid repeat pregnancy in the intervention group of their randomized controlled trial.
*The TOPP program was made possible by Grant Number 90AP2668 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Its contents are solely the responsibility of OhioHealth and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
Home Visiting
Home Visiting is made available through the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a collaboration with Nationwide Children’s Hospital. NFP provides nurse home visitation to low-income mothers, from early pregnancy up to the child’s second birthday. NFP can improve healthy brain development and school readiness in children, prevent child abuse and neglect, and strengthen and empower families.
Once a mother enrolls, a specially trained nurse will their home regularly throughout their pregnancy. The nurse will continue to visit until a baby is 2 years old.
Any person who is no later than 28 weeks pregnant and meets the income requirements (WIC and/or Medicaid) may enroll in the program. NFP is provided at no cost to eligible participants.
To learn more or to make a referral, please call (844)-637-6667.