Returning to your natal home for childbirth and how it affects moms and babies
Temporary childbirth migration: understanding the magnitude and implications for maternal and infant health
We are learning how women who travel back to their natal homes around childbirth may change access to care and health for mothers and newborns in India.
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-11403063 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked about where you stayed during pregnancy, childbirth, and the weeks after birth, plus the health visits and family support you received. The team will gather answers from about 6,000 women across eight community surveillance areas in India to describe how common these temporary moves are and who does them. They will compare birth and newborn health outcomes for women who moved versus those who stayed and look at whether breaks in local health worker visits or changes in social support explain any differences. The findings will be used to suggest ways to keep care connected for mothers and babies when families travel for childbirth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant women or new mothers in India, especially those likely to travel back to their natal home during late pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period.
Not a fit: Women who do not travel for childbirth, people living outside the study regions in India, or those not pregnant or postpartum are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help shape services and policies to keep mothers and newborns connected to care during moves home, reducing missed checkups and poor outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: The team previously measured temporary childbirth migration in two Indian states, but larger multi-site evidence linking these moves to maternal and newborn outcomes is still limited.
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.