Support to help mothers exclusively breastfeed for the first six months
Official title: Breastfeeding Education Support Tool for Baby
Funded at Thomas Jefferson University · NIH-11376968 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program gives pregnant women trained peer counselors and a phone app to help them breastfeed only breast milk for the first six months of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Thomas Jefferson University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $208,255 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD112492-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11376968 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant women living in the selected primary health subcenters in Karnataka State, India who plan to breastfeed and are available for prenatal and postnatal visits.
✕Less likely to help
Women who do not live in the participating areas, do not plan to breastfeed, or whose infants have medical reasons that limit breastfeeding are unlikely to benefit from joining this program.
What this research studies
If you join, trained community peer counselors will meet you two times during pregnancy and nine times after delivery to provide breastfeeding education and support, with additional help from a mobile health app. The program is being tested in a cluster-randomized trial across four sites in Karnataka State, India, where some local health subcenters use the BEST4Baby intervention and others provide routine care. About 1,152 pregnant women (18 per cluster) will be followed over time to track exclusive breastfeeding, baby growth, and early development. The study compares outcomes for mothers who get the extra counseling and app versus those who receive standard prenatal and postnatal education.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could increase exclusive breastfeeding rates and improve infant growth and early development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs using peer counselors and mobile support have improved exclusive breastfeeding in other settings, but this specific combined approach in Karnataka is being tested for effectiveness and implementation.
Where this research is happening
-
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Short, Vanessa L — Thomas Jefferson University
- Study coordinator: Short, Vanessa L
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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.