Maternal Health Risk Assessment and Behavioral Intervention in the NICU Setting Following Very Low Birth Weight Delivery.

Objectives To investigate whether maternal health risk assessment and behavioral intervention in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) improves women's health care seeking and health behaviors following the birth of a very low birth weight (VLBW) infant. Methods Using a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pretest/posttest design, 80 women who had given birth to a VLBW infant that was admitted to the NICU were enrolled into one of two cohorts: 40 into a 'Minimal Intervention' cohort, who received a single session risk assessment and health education pamphlets, and 40 into an 'Enhanced Intervention' cohort, who received five counseling sessions targeting identified risks. The proportion of women with specific health care seeking and health behaviors in the two cohorts were compared at baseline and 3- and 9-months post-intervention.

Change in women's knowledge of general and personal preconception health risks following targeted brief counseling in publicly funded primary care settings.

Purpose: To explore knowledge of general and personal preconception health risks among women in publicly funded clinics and whether brief counseling can improve knowledge.

Design: Interventional cohort study.

Setting: Five publicly funded primary care clinics.