Home Visits by Mother-Child Nurses to Concerned Mothers and Infants in Japan: Characteristics of Mothers and Infants Who Receive Continued Support.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, postnatal care is delivered through follow-up home visits conducted by mother-child nurses in the community employed by local governments. During these visits, the nurses are responsible for promptly assessing the family's circumstances and mother's mental health and determining appropriate directions for ongoing support. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of mothers and children assessed by mother-child nurses in the community as needing ongoing support. METHODS: In this qualitative study, participants were enrolled through convenience sampling. In total, 17 mother-child nurses in the community working at three Japanese local government health centres were surveyed through focus group interviews. RESULTS: The characteristics of mothers and children requiring ongoing support generated 11 categories and 49 subcategories, which were organised into the following six classifications: physical factors of the mother, psychological and emotional factors, socioeconomic factors, social support factors, behavioural factors and physical factors of the child. DISCUSSION: This study revealed that mother-child nurses in the community conducted comprehensive assessments of mothers and children. Understanding their multifaceted characteristics aids in early abuse detection, postpartum depression prevention and maternal mental health promotion. The findings reveal the importance of providing seamless support for mothers and infants, offering valuable insights for mother-child nurses in the community to consider in their care practices.