Study Comparing Group Care and Individual Care After Birth to Improve Health for Mothers and Babies in Malawi

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of an integrated group postpartum and well-child care model compared to usual individual care for postpartum women and their infants. This cluster randomized controlled trial involves 16 clinics in Zomba District, Malawi, aiming to improve maternal and child health outcomes during the first year after birth. The study also explores health and social needs arising after birth and identifies challenges and supports for group care implementation in low-resource settings. Participants in the group care model meet in groups of 8-10 women and their infants born within one month of each other, attending six sessions over one year aligned with the Malawian vaccine schedule. Each 120-minute session includes self-assessments, clinician health checks, and interactive health promotion activities, co-facilitated by a midwife and a health surveillance assistant. The comparison group receives usual individual postpartum and well-child care based on standard clinic visits. Women and their infants are followed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum. Researchers collect data on postpartum depression, infant immunization completion, breastfeeding, nutrition, maternal and infant health markers, child development, and mortality. Surveys, clinical assessments, and interviews are used to measure health outcomes and social experiences. The trial lasts through 2030, providing insights to enhance maternal and infant healthcare delivery in similar low-resource contexts.

Group Postpartum and Well-Child Care for Maternal and Infant Health