Returning to your parental home for childbirth and early motherhood
Temporary childbirth migration: understanding the magnitude and implications for maternal and infant health
This project looks at how moving back to a woman’s natal home around pregnancy and after birth affects 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-11403061 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked about whether and when you return to your parental (natal) home during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period and about the care you and your baby receive. The team will enroll roughly 6,000 women at eight health and demographic surveillance sites across India and collect information on birth outcomes, breastfeeding, access to local health services, and social support. Researchers will compare outcomes for women who move versus those who stay and explore whether gaps in care continuity or changes in family support explain differences. The findings are intended to inform how health services and policies can better support women who travel for childbirth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women in India who are pregnant or recently gave birth, especially those who return to their natal home around delivery, would be the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People living outside the study regions in India, those who do not migrate around childbirth, or individuals unaffected by maternal/newborn care issues are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to changes in local health services or policies that help maintain maternal and newborn care when women move for childbirth, improving health and support.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has only recently measured this phenomenon in limited areas, so this is one of the first large multi-site efforts to document temporary childbirth migration and its health implications.
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.