Supporting survival of low-birthweight newborns with kangaroo care and home support
Enhancing the Survival of Low Birth Weight Infants in Low Resource Settings using an Implementation Science Approach
This project offers mothers of low-birthweight newborns peer support plus a low-cost, locally sourced home kit to help keep babies warm, support breastfeeding, and improve health in low-resource settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167724 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a mother of a low-birthweight baby, you would be paired with trained peer supporters who provide emotional, practical, and motivational help based on the Information, Motivation, and Behavior model. You would receive a low-cost, locally sourced neonatal care kit and guidance to continue skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo care) and exclusive breastfeeding after hospital discharge. The team will provide active follow-up to address cultural, social, and resource barriers that make home kangaroo care difficult. The aim is to make it easier for families in low-resource areas to keep small babies warm, fed, and healthier at home.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Mothers or primary caregivers of newborns with low birthweight (especially within the first 0–4 weeks of life) in low-resource settings, such as participating sites in Africa, are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Infants who are not low birthweight, families outside the program's geographic sites, or those unable or unwilling to practice home kangaroo care and receive peer support may not benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase survival, improve temperature regulation and breastfeeding, and reduce infections for low-birthweight infants.
How similar studies have performed: Kangaroo care itself is well supported by prior studies for improving survival and breastfeeding, but combining peer support with a home kit to boost continuation after discharge is a newer implementation strategy with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
Columbia, United States
- University of South Carolina at Columbia — Columbia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kanyangarara, Mufaro — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Kanyangarara, Mufaro
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.