Integrated nutrition support for mothers and young children in Guatemala
An integrated intervention to address the double burden of maternal child malnutrition in Guatemala
This project offers food supplements and counseling to pregnant and new mothers and their young children in rural Guatemala to reduce both maternal overweight and child undernutrition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11466687 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a pregnant woman in a rural Indigenous community in Guatemala, this project would provide food supplements and one-on-one counseling during pregnancy and after birth, plus nutrition support for your child. About 766 pregnant mothers and their children will be enrolled and randomly assigned to receive the integrated package or usual care, with researchers tracking mothers' weight, children's growth, and health over time. The team will also study how the program is delivered in the community, which parts are most practical, and how much it costs. The goal is to create an affordable, scalable program that benefits both mothers and children across generations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant women living in the participating rural Indigenous communities in Guatemala, and their children from birth onward, are the ideal candidates for participation.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, do not live in the study communities, or whose children are outside the targeted early-childhood age range would not be eligible and would not receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help mothers achieve healthier weights and reduce child stunting, lowering long-term risk of diabetes, hypertension, and other nutrition-related diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Individual components like pregnancy supplementation and counseling have shown benefits, but combining them into an integrated, community-delivered program across mothers and children is largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rohloff, Peter — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Rohloff, Peter
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.