Returning to your natal home for childbirth and postpartum
Temporary childbirth migration: understanding the magnitude and implications for maternal and infant health
This work looks at how women in India who temporarily move back to their natal homes around childbirth experience 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-11163551 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I'm a pregnant woman in one of the study areas, the team will ask whether I moved back to my natal home for childbirth and why. They will survey about 6,000 women at eight health and demographic surveillance sites across India to measure how common temporary childbirth migration is and describe its patterns. The researchers will compare maternal and newborn health outcomes for women who move versus those who stay and examine whether changes in local health care access or family support explain any differences. The project uses surveys and local health records to understand how migration affects continuity of care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant or recently postpartum women living in the eight health and demographic surveillance sites in India, especially those who returned to their natal home around childbirth, are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: Women who live outside the study surveillance sites, who do not move for childbirth, or whose care does not depend on local community health services are less likely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help health programs and policymakers adjust services so mothers and newborns maintain better access to care despite temporary moves.
How similar studies have performed: Prior evidence is limited but this team conducted the first robust measurement of temporary childbirth migration in two Indian states, so this multi-site effort is relatively novel and builds on their earlier work.
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.