An American programme that helps teenage mothers is being extended at a cost of more than £4m.
The family nurse partnership scheme is designed to give children a better start in life by providing intensive support for first-time mothers under the age of 20.
The scheme, running in Edinburgh for more than two years and also being set up in Tayside, is now being rolled out to Glasgow, Fife and Ayrshire and Arran, helping almost 500 young women and their children across the three areas.
It is the brainchild of Dr David Olds, a professor of paediatrics and director of the Prevention research centre for family and child health at the University of Colorado.
The scheme sees family nurses visit pregnant teenagers at least once a fortnight and then during the first two years of their child's life. By doing this they can give guidance and support on child development, parenting skills, breastfeeding and diet, as well as advising the mothers on education and employment.
Similar programmes in the United States have been shown to improve the health of young mothers-to-be, help more women into work, reduce unplanned pregnancies and also lessen child neglect.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said it was "fantastic news" that the scheme was being extended and that the programme in Lothian produced "positive results".
She said: "Intervening at the earliest possible opportunity to support those in our society who are most in need is the key to improving Scotland's health. That's why I am delighted that even more children and their parents are going to benefit from this programme."
A total of 148 young mothers have been helped in Lothian by the scheme which cost £1.6m for the area.
Meanwhile £3.2m is being spent in Tayside, taking on two supervisors and 12 nurses there. They are expected to be helping 295 young women by the end of July.
The scheme will then be extended to the NHS Fife area at a cost of about £1m. One supervisor and four nurses will be involved in helping 105 young women, with work expected to start in August.
From October at the earliest, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will take on one supervisor and eight nurses, aiming to help 205 mothers-to-be, at a cost of about £1.8m.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran is to recruit one supervisor and six nurses who will work with an expected 155 young women from February next year, at a cost of about £1.6m.
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