Can a phone-based parenting program boost child development as well as in-person visits?
NCT ID NCT06140017
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a parenting program that combines mobile health (mHealth) messages with some in-person group meetings can improve early child development as effectively as a fully in-person program. Around 1,200 mothers or primary caregivers of children aged 6-18 months in rural Kenya will take part. The program, called Msingi Bora, covers responsive parenting, talk, play, hygiene, and nutrition. Researchers will compare child cognitive, language, and social development, as well as parenting behaviors, between the two delivery methods to find the most cost-effective approach.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Msingi Bora responsive parenting and family wellbeing program
- What this could lead to
- If the hybrid approach works as well as in-person meetings, it could offer a lower-cost way to support early childhood development at scale in low-resource settings.
- What could go wrong
- Remote delivery may be less effective than in-person visits, and the study is testing this in a specific rural Kenyan context, so results may not apply elsewhere.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for CHILD BEHAVIOR are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Safe Water and AIDS Project
Kisumu, 40100, Kenya
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Could a Mother's Omega-3 supplement shield preterm Babies' lungs?
- Can music help children heal after domestic violence?
- Could a toddler supplement shape brain power years later?
- Could play be a lifeline for children of war? a major study investigates
- Could a simple home program level the playing field for kids in poverty?
- Toddler screen time and language skills: a closer look