Program to improve mothers' weight and children's growth in rural Guatemala
Official title: An integrated intervention to address the double burden of maternal child malnutrition in Guatemala
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11251737 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers combined food supplements and counseling to pregnant and postpartum women and their young children in rural Guatemala to help mothers reach healthy weights and support better child growth.
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 start | December 25, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $370,115 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD114708-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251737 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women living in the targeted rural Indigenous communities of Guatemala and their babies are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, do not live in the target communities, or who require specialized medical treatment rather than nutrition support would be unlikely to benefit directly from this program.
What this research studies
As a pregnant or new mother in a rural Indigenous community in Guatemala, you could be offered regular food supplements and counseling about nutrition and child feeding. You and your baby would join a trial where 766 pregnant women are randomly assigned to receive the integrated program or usual care, and your child's growth and your health would be followed over time. The project combines proven approaches for healthy pregnancy weight and for preventing child undernutrition while testing them together across generations. The team will also measure costs and how well the program can be delivered in routine care so other communities could use it if it works.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce child stunting and help mothers maintain healthy weights, lowering long-term risks like diabetes and high blood pressure.
How similar studies have gone: Separate nutrition supplementation and counseling programs have shown benefits for pregnant women or young children, but combining them into a single intergenerational, scalable program has not been widely tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rohloff, Peter — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Rohloff, Peter
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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.