Cash Benefits for Pregnancy

Age: < 65

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 10 months

3615 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Cash Benefit for Pregnancy?

Research shows that financial incentives for prenatal care can lead to healthier mothers and babies, as seen in a program where financial incentives improved prenatal care outcomes and helped the hospital maintain financial stability. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the Cash Benefit treatment for pregnancy differ from other treatments?

The Cash Benefit treatment for pregnancy is unique because it provides financial support to pregnant women, which can help improve infant health outcomes like birth weight. Unlike traditional medical treatments, this approach focuses on economic support rather than medical intervention. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Chelsea, Massachusetts held a lottery to allocate cash benefits to its residents for ten months. Using data from the Chelsea Eats program, the investigators propose to study the impact of the cash benefit on reproductive and perinatal health.

Research Team

Sumit D Agarwal, MD, MPH

Principal Investigator

Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts with a household income at or below 30% of the HUD's Area Median Income and who are of childbearing age. It aims to understand how receiving extra cash might affect their reproductive and perinatal health.

Inclusion Criteria

You are a resident of Chelsea, Massachusetts.

You possess a household income which is not exceeding 30% of the U.S

You are of reproductive age and capable of bearing children.

Exclusion Criteria

There are no additional criteria for exclusion beyond the requirements for being included in the study.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants in the treatment group received up to $400 per month for 10 months

10 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for reproductive and perinatal health outcomes after the treatment period

10 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Cash Benefit
• No Cash Benefit

Trial Overview The study looks at the effects of receiving a cash benefit versus no cash benefit on reproductive/perinatal health during COVID-19. It uses data from the Chelsea Eats program which provided money through a lottery over ten months.

Participant Groups

Group I: Treatment Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants in the treatment group received up to $400 per month.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants in the control group did not receive monthly cash benefits.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

Lead Sponsor

Trials

208

Recruited

1,421,000+

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Collaborator

Trials

1,694

Recruited

14,790,000+

Findings from Research

Women who participated in a prenatal health education program, including nutrition counseling and smoking cessation support, had a higher smoking cessation rate during pregnancy (49.1% vs. 37.5% in the control group) and a greater reduction in daily smoking rates.

Infants born to women in the experimental group had a higher average birth weight (121.34 oz vs. 113.64 oz) and fewer low birth weight cases (7.0% vs. 9.7%), leading to significant hospital cost savings and a benefit-cost ratio of approximately 2:1 for the program.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioral, health, and cost outcomes of an HMO-based prenatal health education program. Ershoff, DH., Aaronson, NK., Danaher, BG., et al.[2019]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Product line management: financial incentives mean healthier patients. [2004]

2. India pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of late antenatal booking on maternal anemia and fetus birth weight on parturients in Enugu, Nigeria: An analytical cross-sectional study. [2023]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Redesigning postnatal care: a randomised controlled trial of protocol-based midwifery-led care focused on individual women's physical and psychological health needs. [2022]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Group Prenatal Care Outcomes in a Military Population: A Retrospective Cohort Study. [2019]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioral, health, and cost outcomes of an HMO-based prenatal health education program. [2019]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Australian baby bonus maternity payment and birth characteristics in Western Australia. [2021]

7. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The infant health effects of starting universal child benefits in pregnancy: Evidence from England and Wales. [2023]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The cessation in pregnancy incentives trial (CPIT): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. [2021]

9. Australia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of the baby bonus on maternity services in New South Wales. [2010]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Introduction of maternity benefits. [2007]