# Adapting and Implementing Group-Based Postpartum/Well-Child Care at Clinics In Blantyre District, Malawi

> **NIH NIH F31** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $45,520

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Postpartum care, defined from the time of birth through the first year, sets the stage for long-term health and
well-being for both the mother and her child; further it is a critical time to reduce maternal and infant morbidity
and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that every mother and baby should have at
least four postpartum visits within the first six weeks of giving birth. The first year after childbirth is a period of
not only physical recovery but is an important time to identify and manage health and social challenges
including psychosocial adaptations and transitions to a parental role, that make women and children vulnerable
for poor health outcomes. Globally there is no standardized package of care for the first year postpartum.
Further, there are low rates of postpartum care attendance, revealing women's unmet needs during this critical
period in their life course. Sub-Saharan Africa and specifically Malawi have some of the highest rates of
maternal and infant mortality (MMR 634 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 42 infant deaths per 1,000
live births) globally. High rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and preventable illness and
disease necessitate transformation in the delivery of postpartum and well-child care in this critical time in the
maternal/infant life course. CenteringParenting is an innovative group healthcare model that can address gaps
in both postpartum and well-child care with a growing evidence base yielding positive results. This group-care
model aims to improve maternal and child health outcomes by addressing maternal co-morbidities, ensuring
contraceptive plans to promote adequate birth-spacing, encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, infant nutrition,
parenting self-efficacy, child development and quality of care. There is a need to develop through innovative
strategies a postpartum/well-child group care model that is sensitive to maternal-infant dyads in low resource
contexts where rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality are high. Therefore, the purpose of this
mixed methods study is to adapt and implement CenteringParenting, a model of care that holds promise to
advance guidelines for quality postpartum and well-child care, and evaluate its feasibility and acceptability in the
Malawian context. This study will build on the research infrastructure and momentum of the ongoing NINR-
funded (R01 NR018115) effectiveness trial for group based antenatal care in Blantyre district, Malawi. The
proposed study will use the five-steps of design thinking approach to adapt CenteringParenting: 1) empathize;
2) define; 3) ideate; 4) prototype; and 5) test. This will be done through a rapid ethnographic assessment and
incubator sessions with women, health surveillance workers and providers to create the Care Circles prototype.
The Care Circles prototype will be tested to determine feasibility and acceptability in the Malawian context. The
findings will i...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10068196
- **Project number:** 1F31NR019205-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashley Katrina Gresh
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,520
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-16 → 2022-06-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10068196

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10068196, Adapting and Implementing Group-Based Postpartum/Well-Child Care at Clinics In Blantyre District, Malawi (1F31NR019205-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10068196. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*