Crimsonbridge Welcomes VIDA Maternal and Infant Health Alliance

The Crimsonbridge Foundation is pleased to welcome the VIDA, Maternal and Infant Health Alliance, a new philanthropic initiative that will be housed at the Foundation.

Founded and led by Adrianna Smith Reig, the VIDA Alliance will focus on funding and disseminating U.S.-based maternal and infant health research, with an emphasis on conditions affecting women during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. Smith Reig was inspired to establish the VIDA Alliance upon seeking treatment during her own motherhood journey and discovering that information on common postpartum conditions was inconsistent and not based on clinical data.

"1 in 3 breastfeeding women will experience mastitis," Smith Reig says. "Surprisingly, very little research exists on how to effectively treat breast inflammation symptoms, let alone how to diagnose it. Mastitis is painful; it affects the mother and infant's wellbeing. And it can have long-term consequences, like prematurely ending one's breastfeeding journey, as was true for me."

"There's so much attention and funding that's urgently needed in women's health research," she continued. "We've chosen mastitis as our first research effort because it reflects VIDA's mission to focus on the intersection of common, preventable and understudied conditions in maternal and infant health."

The VIDA Alliance seeks to advance research while building a collaborative model for future maternal and infant health research and funding. As a new initiative the VIDA Alliance, plans to operate as a research funder and convener, prioritizing evidence-based inquiry, partnership with academic institutions, and translation of research findings to inform clinical care, provider education, and patient understanding.

We look forward to sharing more news about VIDA, Maternal and Infant Health Alliance and its work in the coming months. To learn more please visit their webpage at www.crimsonbridge.org/VIDA.