Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this project is to test and evaluate an innovative postpartum care, education, and support model that integrates recommended clinical care, education, and support for women in a group setting. Aim 1. Develop an innovative integrated group postpartum care, education, and support model entitled Focused-PPC for postpartum women up to one year after delivery. Aim 2. Implement and evaluate this integrated postpartum care model entitled Focused-PPC in a parallel randomized controlled trial with 192 postpartum women at 4 health centers in Tamale, Ghana.


Clinical Trial Description

Although the postpartum period poses substantial risks and can result in significant maternal morbidity and mortality, it receives much less attention than pregnancy and childbirth. Appropriate postpartum care enables healthcare providers identify and treat postpartum complications promptly, offer help with a wide range of health and social needs and encourage mothers to adopt evidenced-based postpartum practices at home, since maternal self-care usually takes place at home. In many settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, quality postpartum care, education, and support for the mother are often the missing components of postnatal care delivery, which focuses on care of the baby. The lack of standard postpartum care for the mother contributes to maternal deaths. There is an urgent need for an integrated postpartum care delivery model that is comprehensive and meets clinical care, education, and support needs of mothers. Thus, the purpose of this project is to test and evaluate an innovative postpartum care, education, and support model known as Focused-PPC, in Tamale, Ghana. The proposed project will be the first of its kind to design an integrated and comprehensive group postpartum care delivery model, focused on clinical care of the mother and baby, as well as education and peer support in Ghana. Our model supports the clinical assessments and timeframes recommended by the World Health Organization and adopted by Ghana Health Service. Together with my partner organization, Savana Signatures, we will develop and test Focused-PPC. Focused-PPC will be implemented in groups in health centers in Tamale, Ghana. Each group will meet at 1-2 weeks, 6 weeks, and monthly thereafter for up to 1 year postpartum following the Ghana health service postnatal care schedule. Led by trained midwives in the health centers, each group session will consist of postpartum clinical assessments for mother (in addition to baby), education, and support. Focused-PPC has the potential to change the postpartum care delivery model in Ghana and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Results from this implementation will be used to further refine and scale up the Focused-PPC model of postpartum care. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT05280951
Study type Interventional
Source University of Notre Dame
Contact Principal Investigator
Phone +1 574 631 3224
Email yadams@nd.edu
Status Recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date February 26, 2022
Completion date June 2023

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT03296774 - Healthy Beyond Pregnancy: Improving Postpartum Care N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT06310720 - Postpartum Video Education in High Risk Populations N/A
Completed NCT05159726 - Postpartum Video Education N/A
Completed NCT05533021 - Meleis's Transition Theory on Postpartum Difficulties and Quality of Life in Primipara Mothers N/A
Terminated NCT04226807 - Impact of Earlier Postpartum Contact on Postpartum Visit Compliance and Maternal Wellbeing N/A
Completed NCT04257552 - Care After Pregnancy Study (CAPS): Engaging Women in Postpartum Care N/A
Completed NCT02076204 - Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation-Strong Start N/A
Completed NCT05928494 - The Effect of High Reality Simulation Method on Problem Solving Skills and Anxiety Levels of Midwifery Students N/A
Completed NCT04848922 - Hot Showers on Postpartum Fatigue, Mood and Comfort In Women Giving Vaginal Birth N/A