Returning to your family home for childbirth
Temporary childbirth migration: understanding the magnitude and implications for maternal and infant health
This project looks at how women in India who travel back to their parents' homes around pregnancy and birth experience health care and health for themselves and their newborns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11403062 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will interview about 6,000 women at eight community surveillance sites across India to map who moves for childbirth and when. They will compare mothers and babies who returned to their natal homes with those who remained in their marital homes to see differences in care visits, access, and birth outcomes. The team will examine whether changes in contact with local health workers or levels of family support help explain any differences in health. Results will be used to suggest ways to keep mothers and newborns connected to care when families move around childbirth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women in India who were pregnant or gave birth recently, especially those who returned to their natal home for childbirth or the postpartum period, are the main group for this work.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, men, or individuals living outside the participating Indian surveillance areas are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help shape programs and policies so mothers who move during pregnancy or after birth continue to receive timely maternal and newborn care.
How similar studies have performed: The team previously measured temporary childbirth migration in two Indian states, but large multicenter evidence is limited, so this work builds on initial findings.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Diamond-Smith, Nadia Griffi — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Diamond-Smith, Nadia Griffi
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.