From April this year, first-time parents in 10 areas will get extrasupport from midwives and health visitors according to plans launchedlast week.
The approach has already been extensively tested in the US, where it hassignificantly improved babies' and children's health and readiness forschool and reduced accidents.
Senior figures in the Department of Health hope to use the approach totarget the one per cent of children and families that existing policies'such as Sure Start and the child poverty strategy, have failed toreach.
However, figures released last week show the number of health visitorstrained last year fell by 40 per cent, fuelling doubts over thefeasibility of the approach. Karen Reay, director of Amicus and theCommunity Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association, whichconducted the survey, said: "We have the policies to move this forward,but we don't have the staff to deliver it."
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