App-Based doula support tested for rural First-Time mothers
NCT ID NCT07293741
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study will test whether virtual doula services—accessed through a smartphone app—can improve birth outcomes and satisfaction for first-time mothers living in rural areas. 614 pregnant women in their second or early third trimester will be randomly assigned to receive either virtual doula visits plus an ebook or just the ebook. Researchers will track C-section rates, birth satisfaction, and maternal confidence.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- virtual doula support via mobile app
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that virtual doula care improves birth experiences and reduces C-sections for rural mothers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial testing a support service, not a medical treatment. Results may not apply broadly, and virtual support may not replace in-person care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 614 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 18-45 years of age * pregnant (second or early third trimester) with their first child * reside in a rural zip codes in the U.S. Exclusion Criteria: * non-singleton pregnancy * police custody or incarceration * infant to be separated from mother (e.g., placed for adoption, protective custody) * working with a doula prior to enrollment.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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RAND
Arlington, Virginia, 22202, United States
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