Clinical Research Directory

Climate-Responsive Nutrition, WASH, and Heat Counselling for Maternal and Child Health in Sindh, Pakistan

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a climate- and gender-responsive integrated package of nutrition, hygiene (WASH), and heat-adaptation counselling can improve maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes among women of reproductive age and young children in rural Sindh, Pakistan. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does training Lady Health Workers, at the community level improve women's knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding, hygiene, and heat-adaptation behaviours? 2. Does training healthcare providers at facilities improve women's knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding, hygiene, and heat-adaptation behaviours? Researchers will compare communities receiving the enhanced training package to those receiving standard care to determine its effectiveness. Participants will: 1. Receive counselling from trained Lady Health Workers and healthcare providers on nutrition, hygiene, and heat-adaptation practices. 2. Take part in household surveys assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices. 3. Followed over time during pregnancy and early childhood (only applies to a cohort of participants).

Longitudinal Prospective Study of Maternal and Child Nutrition in Arkansas

The investigators want to learn how women's diets may impact breastfeeding outcomes. This study will help the investigators learn more about how diet and social factors like food access may impact mothers' health, breastfeeding, and their baby's health. Participants will attend a visit before birth, then 11 visits as their baby grows up. All visits will be remote using RedCap, phone or video call, text messaging or any other communication modalities of preference to the participant. The investigators will ask for personal information about participants' family, home, and finances, health literacy, medical history, current medications, pregnancy complications, mental health (depression, quality of life), confidence in breastfeeding, eating habits, and plan to feed their baby. After childbirth, the investigators will ask about participants' delivery and child's health, and request access to their child's medical records. Across all visits, the investigators will ask participants to measure their weight, height, blood pressure, activity and sleep, and child's length; the investigators will also ask them to ship urine, stool, and breast milk samples. The investigators will obtain a 24-hour feeding log for the child, as well as a log of what the mother ate and drank over 24 hours.

MMS, IFA, and MMS+IFA Supplementation in Pregnant Women

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS), Iron-Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, and combined MMS+IFA supplementation among pregnant women. Maternal anemia and micronutrient deficiencies are common during pregnancy and can adversely affect both maternal and neonatal health outcomes. A total of 402 pregnant women with gestational age of 20 weeks or less will be randomly assigned to receive MMS, IFA, or combined MMS+IFA supplementation. Participants will be followed throughout pregnancy until delivery. Maternal hemoglobin levels, maternal compliance with supplementation, and neonatal outcomes including birth weight, preterm birth, APGAR scores, and congenital anomalies will be assessed. The findings of this study will provide evidence to guide antenatal nutrition policies and practices in Pakistan.

Social Networks for Improving Maternal & Child Health

Brief Summary: Improving Maternal and Child Health via Indigenous Structures The goal of this cluster randomized controlled community trial is to assess the effect of community-based interventions using indigenous community structures on the improvement of health and nutritional status in pregnant women (recruited before 16 weeks of gestation) and their children in Northwest Ethiopia. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does a community-based intervention using indigenous structures significantly improve the uptake of maternal health services (ANC, delivery, and PNC)? * Does the intervention effectively reduce the prevalence of maternal depression during the pregnancy and postpartum periods? * To what extent does the intervention improve the nutritional status (reducing thinness and stunting) of mothers and their children? Researchers will compare a group of women receiving counseling from trained indigenous social support groups to a control group receiving only the routine health and nutrition education provided by the standard healthcare system to see if the indigenous approach leads to better health and nutritional outcomes. Participants will: * Receive four counseling sessions during pregnancy (starting before 16 weeks of gestation) and four additional sessions during the lactation period, conducted in their homes by trained social support groups. * Receive educational leaflets containing core health and nutrition messages and appropriate pictures. * Participate in two rounds of surveys (baseline, and endline) involving interviewer-administered questionnaires. * Undergo physical measurements, specifically mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), to assess nutritional status.

Healthy Baby Healthy Mother Toolkit

The objective of the research is to test whether integrating a mother-baby nutrition toolkit into routine antenatal care service can improve maternal and infant nutrition in Amhara, Ethiopia