Understanding postpartum pregnancy risks to improve birth spacing
Official title: Measuring Postpartum Pregnancy Risk to Improve Healthy Birth Intervals
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11135033 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at what affects the health of new moms in Ethiopia after they give birth, especially how closely they have their babies, so we can find better ways to help them plan their families and stay healthy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $155,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R03HD115941-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11135033 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are postpartum women in Ethiopia, particularly those who may be at risk for short birth intervals and are not currently using contraception.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not postpartum or those living outside of Ethiopia may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the factors that contribute to postpartum pregnancy risks among women in Ethiopia, particularly focusing on the period after childbirth. It aims to identify when women are most at risk for short birth intervals and the behaviors that influence this risk. By analyzing data from over 5,200 women, the study will explore contraceptive use, sexual activity, and menstrual cycles to develop targeted family planning interventions. The goal is to enhance maternal and newborn health outcomes by promoting effective birth spacing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved family planning strategies that enhance maternal and newborn health by promoting healthier birth intervals.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that understanding behavioral and biological factors can significantly improve family planning interventions, suggesting that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sarnak, Dana — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Sarnak, Dana
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
CREBRF gene and diabetes risk in American Samoan pregnancies
This project follows 350 pregnant American Samoan women to understand how a specific gene variant may influence diabetes risk during and after pregnancy.
-
Healthy Families-PrEP: helping women in Uganda start and stay on PrEP during periconception, pregnancy, and postpartum
A program in Uganda helps periconception, pregnant, and postpartum women use PrEP safely to prevent HIV, with support sessions and monitoring.
-
Healthy Families-PrEP: helping pregnant and new mothers in Uganda stay HIV-free
A family-focused program in Uganda tests an approach to help women who are planning pregnancy or are pregnant or postpartum use PrEP to prevent HIV infection.
-
LA-MOM: Long-Acting HIV ART in Pregnancy and After Birth
This study follows pregnant people with HIV who receive long-acting injectable HIV medicines to understand how the drugs behave in the body, how they reach the baby, and what patients experience during pregnancy and after birth.
-
Effects of prescription opioid use during pregnancy on a mother's brain after birth
This project looks at how taking prescription opioids during pregnancy changes a mother's brain and behavior after her baby is born.
-
PrEP in Pregnancy and Postpartum Data Hub
A patient-friendly data-sharing project that brings together information from many pregnancy and postpartum PrEP studies to better understand HIV prevention for mothers and their babies.
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.