Understanding newborn and stillbirth deaths in India

The dynamics of late fetal and neonatal mortality in the Indian context

NIH-funded research University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11393533

Researchers will look at birth and early-life records to find patterns explaining why babies in India are stillborn or die in the first month of life.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pennsylvania NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-11393533 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you are a pregnant person or a new parent in India, this project will examine how stillbirths and deaths in the first month happen and how often they are missed or miscounted. The team will combine household surveys, health facility records, and other data sources to correct undercounts and sort out misclassified events between stillbirths and neonatal deaths. They will analyze risk factors such as preterm birth, low birthweight, and being small for gestational age to see how these contribute to early deaths. The researchers will map where problems are concentrated to suggest where health services and measurement can be improved.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People who could participate include pregnant people, families of newborns, and health facilities or agencies in India willing to share birth and neonatal records or survey information.

Not a fit: This project may not directly help individuals outside India or families whose births are not captured in the data sources used.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce more accurate counts and clearer causes of stillbirths and newborn deaths, helping policymakers target care and prevention to save babies' lives.

How similar studies have performed: Previous data-analysis projects have improved counting and identified risk factors in other settings, but applying these methods at large scale in India and addressing misclassification is a newer effort.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.