Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon visited the family nurse partnership being tested in the NHS Lothian area. It supports first-time parents or single mums under the age of 19.

The six family nurses will visit expectant mothers every one or two weeks during pregnancy and throughout the first two years of their baby's life, offering guidance on child development, preventative health measures, parenting skills, breastfeeding, better diet information and advice for mothers on education and employment.

Ms Sturgeon said: ‘This isn't an untested programme - the evidence from programmes already up and running in the US shows that it is improving prenatal health, increasing employment for young mothers, resulting in fewer unintended pregnancies and helping to reduce child neglect.

‘In time I want to see the kind of support that the family nurse partnership provides across the whole of Scotland.'