Prenatal Support Programs to Help

¶ … prenatal support programs to help prevent child abuse. One of the most prevalent ideas about preventing child abuse is preventing it before it occurs. A popular approach is throughout prenatal support programs, which give expecting parents the tools they need to deal with new babies, rather than resorting to child abuse in times of stress or misunderstanding. These programs can target young couples inside or outside the home, and they are proven to prevent child abuse.

Preventing child abuse before it occurs is the goal of most anti-child abuse organizations and programs. There are many different ways to help prevent child abuse, but one of the best seems to be prenatal support programs, that target couples expecting their first child, and may be unaware of many health and wellness issues facing their child. They may also be unaware that they pose a risk for child abuse, since new parents often do not have the coping skills necessary to welcome a new baby into the home, because the baby brings many stressful and new experiences they may not have been anticipating. Creating programs that tackle this area of child abuse is not new, but as they continue, more studies are available to indicate they work, and they do prevent child abuse.

Many couples facing their first child receive counseling on care and wellness issues, but they have little training in how to deal with other parenting issues, such as how to deal with the stress of a new baby, and how a new baby can change the dynamics of the family. Traditionally, prenatal programs have focused on health and wellness issues for new parents, but many programs are now including child abuse prevention as part of their instruction. One Web site notes, "Prenatal programs can build on existing medical programs and educate about-to-be parents in child development, parent-child relationships, and adult relationships" (Editors). This helps parents, no matter who they are, learn how to deal with the many factors that bringing a new baby into the home produces.

Many experts now believe that targeting "at-risk" families, such as those containing drug or other addicts, unemployed parents, or other at-risk factors, such as poverty or missing parents, is not the only way to prevent child abuse. They believe all families should experience prenatal support programs, so everyone has a chance to learn more about the stresses of bringing home a new baby and how to deal with them. The editors continue, "Since 1989, the family support movement has pointed to an increasing need among all-American families for support, advice, and role models. Consequently, many parent education and support programs have encouraged the participation of all families, without regard to specified risk" (Editors). This helps prevent more child abuse, while helping parents learn the right techniques to safeguard their children from child abuse.

Prenatal support in a group setting also lets young parents-to-be make contact with other parents, who may be feeling the same worries and concerns they themselves are feeling, thus setting up social networks for support before and after the child is born. Often, many at-risk parents have fewer social networks, and this can help contribute to child abuse after the child is born. Creating social networks, as well as a safe environment for parents to ask questions and gain knowledge should be the goal of any good prenatal support group.

In addition, many prenatal support programs include or consist of home visitation by either a qualified nurse or social worker (or both), that discuss parenting techniques and challenges, while monitoring the health of the new infant and the mother. These home visitation programs have been proven to help reduce child abuse. One study notes, "For mothers, long-term effects of home visitation include fewer subsequent pregnancies, decreased use of welfare, and fewer verified incidents of child abuse and neglect" (Hammond-Ratzlaff, and Fulton 435). Thus, the home visitation programs, whether a family is at-risk or not, can help reduce and prevent child abuse, and so they prove to be a worthwhile investment for just about any community.