The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is making significant strides in neonatal care research, thanks to dual grants from the National Institutes of Health and the March of Dimes Foundation. Dr. Margaret Parker, a prominent pediatric professor, is leading a crucial study on the impact of financial aid for low-income mothers with preterm infants, exploring how this support influences parental involvement in neonatal intensive care units (NICU).
In 2022, Dr. Parker and Dr. Margaret McConnell of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health initiated a five-year research project with a $3.5 million NIH grant. This study involves a randomized clinical trial to assess how economic support affects caregiving behaviors in the NICU. Recently, the March of Dimes Foundation augmented this research with a $200,000 grant specifically aimed at investigating racial factors within perinatal care, including potential discrimination experiences by mothers of color and their perceptions of care quality in the NICU setting.
Dr. Parker highlighted the additional capabilities enabled by the March of Dimes funding, emphasizing the expansion of the study to include detailed analyses of racial dynamics in neonatal care. This aspect is crucial to understanding and improving the equity of care provided across diverse groups. The research will also measure the direct effects of financial assistance provided to the mothers, offered as weekly payments via prepaid debit cards intended to alleviate the economic pressures of NICU hospitalization. These funds aim to help mothers afford necessary expenses, thus facilitating their presence and engagement with their infants, which is vital for effective neonatal care and bonding practices like breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact.
As the study progresses, with enrollment expected to begin soon at four NICU locations in Massachusetts and Atlanta, this comprehensive approach aims not just to better the immediate NICU care but also to foster long-term health outcomes for both mothers and infants. This project underscores the intersecting impacts of socioeconomic and racial factors on medical care, striving to offer solutions that enhance both the care quality and the care experience in critical healthcare settings.