Correction to: The Efficacy of Using Peer Mentors to Improve Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Hispanic Families: Findings from a Randomized Clinical Trial.

The article "The Efficacy of Using Peer Mentors to Improve Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Hispanic Families: Findings from a Randomized Clinical Trial", written by Melanie Lutenbacher, Tonya Elkins, Mary S. Dietrich and Anais Riggs, was originally published electronically on the publisher's internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 31 May 2018 without open access. With the author(s)' decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 16 July 2018 to

The Efficacy of Using Peer Mentors to Improve Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Hispanic Families: Findings from a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program is a home visiting program, utilizing peer mentors to improve maternal/child health outcomes in underserved communities. Findings are presented from a randomized clinical trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of the MIHOW model in a sample of Hispanic women in Tennessee. We hypothesized maternal and infant outcomes would be better in women assigned to MIHOW than women assigned to the minimal education intervention (MEI) group (receipt of educational materials). Methods Women entered the study during pregnancy (< 26 weeks gestation) and were followed through 6 months postpartum. A total of 188 women were enrolled and randomly assigned (MEI = 94; MIHOW = 94), with 178 women completing the study (MEI = 87; MIHOW = 91). Results Positive and statistically significant (p < 0.01) effects of MIHOW were observed on breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusivity, levels of depressive symptoms and parenting stress, safe sleep practices, and infant stimulation in the home. No statistically significant differences were noted in number of prenatal visits. Discussion Results expand limited empiric evidence and provide strong support of the effectiveness of MIHOW on improving health outcomes in this sample of Hispanic mothers and their infants. MIHOW is a viable option for providing culturally sensitive services to immigrant and underserved families.

Using Community Health Workers to Improve Health Outcomes in a Sample of Hispanic Women and Their Infants: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program, an early childhood home visiting program, uses community health workers (CHWs) to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. Methods: This randomized clinical trial evaluated the impact of MIHOW's use of CHWs on selected maternal/infant outcomes up to 15 months postpartum. We hypothesized outcomes would be better among Hispanic women receiving MIHOW compared to a similar group of women eligible for MIHOW who received only a minimal education intervention (MEI). The study also expanded earlier research testing MIHOW's efficacy among Hispanic families using criteria set forth by federal guidelines. Women living in middle Tennessee enrolled during pregnancy (≤26 weeks gestation) and continued through 15 months postpartum. Results: Enrolled women (N = 132) were randomly assigned, with 110 women completing the study (MEI = 53; MIHOW = 57). Positive and statistically significant (p < .01) effects of MIHOW were observed on breastfeeding duration, safe sleep practices, stress levels, depressive symptoms, emotional support, referral follow through, parental confidence, and infant stimulation in the home. Conclusions: Findings provided strong evidence of the effectiveness of MIHOW for improving health outcomes in this sample. Using trained CHWs makes programs such as MIHOW a viable option for providing services to immigrant and underserved families.

The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker program in low-income families.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker program (MIHOW) is a community-based intervention dedicated to enhancing birth outcomes and healthy child development. Trained neighborhood women provide home and group services to underserved families in rural and inner city communities. This report describes MIHOW's history and work in Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana.