Nutrition and its link to stillbirths and newborn deaths in sub-Saharan Africa
Nutrition, late fetal and neonatal mortality in the African context
Looking at how mothers' nutrition and birth factors relate to stillbirths and deaths in the first month of life in sub-Saharan Africa so care can better protect babies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11398827 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, the team will work with hospitals and communities in sub-Saharan Africa to improve how stillbirths and early newborn deaths are counted and classified. They will gather information on mothers' nutrition, babies' birthweight and gestational age, and other health and social factors. Researchers will combine new data with existing records and re-analyze them to find patterns and causes of late fetal and neonatal death. The project aims to fix data gaps and misclassification so interventions can be targeted where they will help most.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and newborns receiving care in hospitals or community health settings in sub-Saharan Africa who can provide or allow collection of birth, nutrition, and outcome information.
Not a fit: People outside the study regions or those whose baby's death is clearly due to non-nutrition causes (for example major congenital anomalies or accidents) are less likely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help health programs better target maternal and newborn nutrition and reduce stillbirths and deaths in the first month of life.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked low birthweight, prematurity, and maternal undernutrition to neonatal death, but many have suffered from poor data and misclassification, so this project builds on known associations while prioritizing better measurement.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guillot, Michel — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Guillot, Michel
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.