28 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The objective this research is to conduct a within-subject, experimental study that will describe mothers' feeding practices during typical bottle-feeding conditions and will examine whether removal of visual cues related to the amount of milk/formula in the bottle will alter these feeding practices. The investigators hypothesize that mothers will show higher levels of infant-directed feeding practices and lower levels of mother-directed feeding practices when using opaque, weighted bottles compared to when using standard, clear bottles. The investigators also hypothesize that infants will consume less breast milk or formula when fed from opaque, weighted bottles compared to when fed from standard, clear bottles.
The objective of the proposed research is to conduct a within-subject, experimental study that will describe mothers' feeding practices during typical bottle-feeding conditions and will examine whether removal of visual cues related to the amount of milk/formula in the bottle will alter these feeding practices. The investigators hypothesize that mothers will show higher levels of infant-directed feeding practices and lower levels of mother-directed feeding practices when using opaque, weighted bottles compared to when using standard, clear bottles. The investigators also hypothesize that infants will consume less breast milk or formula when fed from opaque, weighted bottles compared to when fed from standard, clear bottles.
Currently, no clear consensus exists regarding the effect of epidural anesthesia upon breast-feeding. In theory, epidurals may increase breast-feeding failure via inadequate maternal milk production, deficiencies in neonatal neurobehavior, or both, but most studies have failed to separate these potential mechanisms. The present study examines whether epidural duration correlates with 1) likelihood of breast-feeding at hospital discharge and 2) neonatal neurobehavioral deficits in feeding, as measured by the L\&A components of the standardized, validated LATCH scoring system.
There is a paucity of information on whether and how the composition of formulas fed to infants influences their short-term feeding behaviors during the first few months of life. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the composition of infant formula affects infants' feeding behaviors, in particular, how much formula is consumed within a given feed (i.e., measure of satiation) and how much time elapses after the feed until the infant exhibits signs of hunger (i.e., measure of satiety). The investigators will also examine the relationship between the composition of infant formula consumed and infant temperature, activity, sleep, and mothers' perceptions of infants' intake and regulatory behaviors.
The purpose of this study is to pilot test whether a novel infant feeding bottle changes how much formula an infant drinks and how quickly he/she drinks it, as compared to meals provided in a standard bottle. Exclusively formula-fed infants and their caregiver will be provided with the novel feeding bottle and caregivers will be asked to acclimate their infant to this bottle during the next several weeks. Once acclimated, infants will undergo two weighed, timed, and videotaped test meals on two separate days; one with the novel bottle and one with their standard bottle, in random order. It is hypothesized that when the novel bottle is used, infants bottle will consume smaller meals and will have a longer meal duration, as compared to when a standard bottle is used.
The purpose of this study is to determine the methods of formula preparation and feeding practices in Latin American households in the first 12 months of life. There is limited published information on the feeding practices of infants in disadvantaged households, and still less information is available regarding disadvantaged Latin American households. Studies have shown that certain feeding practices such as diluting infant formula, warming bottles in a microwave, or storing partially used bottles in the refrigerator can be dangerous for the infant. Previous pilot data in other states have documented that up to 15-21% of parents dilute infant formula. Motives for doing so included an attempt to avoid infant hunger, save money, or make formula last longer.
A majority of mothers experience high stress levels and associated symptoms of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep disruption during the NICU hospitalization and continuing after hospital discharge. Given preterm infant feeding is one of the most stressful things the new mother will face and given the harmful nature of stress on maternal and infant health, it is important an intervention focuses on both of these concerns: infant feeding and maternal stress. Therefore, the purpose of this research study is two-fold. First, the investigators will examine how practical and acceptable it is for mothers of preterm infants to participate in Stress And FEeding (SAFE) intervention and collect biological stress measures from mothers and their preterm infant's saliva (spit). The intervention is designed to reduce stress and improve maternal feeding interaction. The second purpose of this study is to examine changes before and after using the intervention on mother and infant outcomes over 16-weeks.
Using cross-sectional samples from over 40 Demographic and Health Surveys, the investigators studied the association between maternal employment and 3 indicators of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF): exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among children less than 6 months old (N=39,791) and minimum diet diversity (MDD) and minimum meal frequency (MMF) (N=137,208) among children 6 to 23 months old. Mothers were categorized as formally employed, informally employed, or non-employed. The investigators first used adjusted logistic regression models to assess the associations within each country. The investigators then used meta-analysis to pool associations across all countries and by region.
Two innovative approaches, pulsatile orocutaneous entrainment of non-nutritive suck via orosensory entrainment (NTrainer) device technology and serial salivary gene expression analyses, will be merged to examine the relation between gene expression, oral somatosensory stimulation, feeding behavior, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months corrected age (CA) on 180 extremely preterm infants \[EPIs\] (24 0/7-26 6/7 GA and 27 0/7 - 28 6/7 GA) enrolled at three neonatal intensive care units: Catholic Health Initiative (CHI) Health St. Elizabeth (Lincoln, NE), Tufts Medical Center (Boston, MA), and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (San Jose, CA). EPIs will be randomized to a blind pacifier (SHAM) or PULSED NTrainer treatment groups, and stratified by GA, sex, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia status (BPD vs non-BPD). We hypothesize that the combination of the NTrainer® intervention for improved oral feeding skills, along with objective salivary gene expression data to monitor response to treatment and feeding development, will result in a novel, objective, and personalized approach to neonatal oral feeding and reduce the duration of time to attain oral feeds while improving feeding, growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months' CA.
Preterm infants face many feeding challenges during hospitalization which can prolong hospitalization, raise parental anxiety and can lead to medical instability. The Feeding Progression study will randomize preterm infants to one of two currently accepted oral feeding schedules; oral feed attempts every 3 hours or every 6 hours. The study will collect data on oral feeding success, milk transfer, sucking strength, growth and medical complications.
The purpose of this study is to better understand why children with short gut develop feeding problems.
Poor feeding practices during infancy contribute to obesity risk because they interfere with infant feeding self-regulation and appropriate growth patterns as infants transition from human milk and/or formula-based diets to solid foods. The goal of the project is to provide an educational intervention that fosters appropriate maternal responsiveness, feeding styles, and feeding practices via infant-centered feeding.
Decades of research have established that providing repeated exposure to new foods is the most robust strategy for promoting children's acceptance of new foods (1). However, there is little guidance on how best to translate this recommendation into everyday family life about how often to introduce children to new foods. We propose to conduct a proof-of-concept randomized trial that will evaluate three different schedules of repeated exposure to a novel vegetable, which will help to identify the optimal "pacing" of repeated exposure to promote children's acceptance (i.e., intake) of new vegetables. Here we define "pacing" as how often (every day, every few days, etc.) and across what interval of time (days, weeks, months) repeated exposure is effective for infants to learn to accept a novel food.
Infancy is an important target period for obesity prevention because once obese as an infant, the relative risk of remaining obese appears to rise with increasing age at great cost to both individuals and society. The ability to self-regulate energy intake (eating when hungry and stopping when full) is vital to obesity prevention and it is thought that this ability can be derailed by a chronic mismatch between parental feeding behavior and the infant's state (feeding in the absence of hunger and/or feeding beyond fullness). The study will test a novel intervention to help parents and pre-verbal infants better understand one another during feeding and it will offer new insight into how self-regulation of energy intake develops during infancy.
The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the impact on infant growth and infant-feeding practices of a low-cost series of video trainings and tools targeted to medical staff and designed to support ongoing Baby Behavior education of WIC participants.
The study will use a longitudinal, randomized control trial design to determine intervention impact on parent and child behaviors, and infant health. The two intervention groups include: 1) MAGIC-FEED+; and 2) MAGIC-SAFE. This trial is an efficacy trial of the MAGIC-FEED and MAGIC-SAFE program that has been successfully implemented with families as part of the MAGIC 1.0 program trial (IRB#: 2015040017). * The primary aim is to investigate each intervention's impact on infant BMIZ at 13 months. * The investigators will also assess the effect of MAGIC-FEED on caregiver nutrition knowledge and feeding practices, responsive feeding, infant diet, and child self-regulatory abilities and assess how these factors impact child self-regulation of eating and adiposity. * Finally, the investigators will determine if the interventions demonstrate the factors necessary to be a successful intervention as determined by the RE-AIM and PRISM frameworks.
This study aims to assess the impact of a home-visiting program, called "Family Spirit Nurture" (FSN), on reducing early childhood obesity in American Indian (AI) children. The FSN intervention targets parent feeding practices, young children's diet and physical activity (PA) and early childhood (0-2 years of age) weight status, all associated with risk for early childhood obesity and, consequently, risk for obesity over the life course. The investigators will also explore whether maternal psychosocial factors (stress, depression and substance use), household food/water security and/or constrained physical activity environments moderate FSN intervention impacts on: mother's feeding behaviors for infants and toddlers; and, children's diets, PA patterns, and weight status. Finally, the investigators will examine how maternal/infant characteristics, diet and behaviors impact the underlying biologic mechanisms of early childhood obesity and whether social and behavioral interventions can impact infant metabolic health. The investigators evaluation will employ a randomized controlled design, in which both the intervention and comparison condition receive assisted transportation to prenatal and well-baby visits (called "Optimized Standard Care"), and the comparison condition also receives potentially beneficial injury prevention education at 8 assessment visits. Primary Aims: Efficacy of Family Spirit Nurture (FSN) + Optimized Standard Care (OSC) versus Injury Prevention Education (IPE) + OSC will be assessed for each of the following from birth to 24 months postpartum: Aim 1. Mothers' implementation of recommended feeding behaviors. Hypothesis 1. FSN + OSC mothers will be more likely to meet breastfeeding and complementary feeding recommendations and engage in responsive parenting/feeding behaviors compared to IPE + OSC mothers. Aim 2. Children's consumption of healthy diet and physical activity engagement. Hypothesis 2. FSN + OSC children will consume more fruits and vegetables and fewer calories from sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), snacks and desserts, and they will have higher physical activity and reduced screen time/other sedentary activities compared to IPE + OSC children. Aim 3. Children's weight status. Hypothesis 3. Mean BMI z-scores for FSN + OSC children will be closer to zero (the mean age- and sex- specific BMI z-score for the World Health Organization standard reference population) compared to IPE + OSC children.
This is a randomized trial of use of a mobile health tool (EpxBreastfeeding) aimed at improving breastfeeding adherence and duration among recent mothers who self identify as motivated to breastfeed. As a result of text communication and expedited coaching through common breastfeeding challenges, the investigators expect more mothers in the study arm will continue breastfeeding through the first 6 months after giving birth.
This study aims to assess the impact of a brief home-visiting module, called "Family Spirit Nurture" (FSN), on American Indian (AI) parent feeding practices associated with increased risk for early childhood obesity, with a primary focus on delaying introduction of infants' Sugar Sweetened Beverage (SSB) (including soda, energy drinks, juice with added sugar and other drinks with added sugar) intake while teaching mothers complementary feeding and responsive parenting practices. The investigators will also assess how water insecurity may moderate parents' feeding of SSBs to young children. Finally, the investigators will explore whether maternal knowledge of oral health practices and/or reduction of infants' SSB intake influences early indicators of infant's oral health (i.e., infants' oral microbiome and plaque formation). Our evaluation will employ a randomized controlled design, in which the control condition receives a beneficial home-safety educational model and assistance in safety proofing their homes for small children. Assessments in both groups will occur at baseline (between 6 and 10 weeks postpartum) and 4 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months postpartum. Primary Aims: Aim 1: To determine the effectiveness of the brief (6 lessons) FSN home-visiting parent feeding practice module on reducing SSB initiation and frequency among infants between 3 and 12 months of age. Hypothesis 1: Infants whose mothers receive FSN vs. controls will be less likely to introduce SSBs between 3 and 12 months of age. Aim 2: To determine the effectiveness of FSN to promote optimal complementary feeding and responsive parenting practices. Hypothesis 2: Mothers who receive FSN vs. controls will be more likely to practice recommended complementary feeding and responsive parenting practices between 3 and 12 months of age. Aim 3: To determine the impact of water insecurity on SSB consumption among infants between 3 and 6 months of age. Hypothesis 2: Parents who report water insecurity vs. those who do not will be more likely to give infants SSBs between 3 and 6 months of age. Secondary Aims: Secondary Aim 1: To explore if provision of water to families reduces SSB intake among mothers and infants ages 6 to 9 months of age. Secondary Aim 2: To explore if infants in the FSN intervention have better oral health outcomes than control infants up to 12 months postpartum.
In the present study, we tested a novel approach to understanding infant bottle-feeding interactions: experimentally manipulating bottle-feeding conditions to better understand maternal and infant influences on overfeeding, as well as individual differences in risk for overfeeding. Specifically, we observed mother-infant dyads during a typical, "mother-led" feeding, during which mothers were given no instruction regarding how or how much to feed their infants (hereafter referred to as a "typical feeding" \[TF\]), as well as during an "infant-led" (IL) feeding, wherein we minimized the mothers' influence on the feeding and ensured the feed was in response to the infants' hunger and fullness cues. Using this within-subject, objective, and experimental approach, the present study aimed to: 1) directly measure the extent to which overfeeding occurs during bottle-feeding and 2) describe the characteristics of infants and mothers that overfeed during bottle-feeding.
Babies born too soon, premature babies, can have complications following birth because their systems are immature. Hospitals help prevent deformities and delays in motor development by using therapeutic positioning to provide containment as they would experience in the womb. They also often have trouble eating. They have discomfort, are irritable, refuse to eat and cry because their digestive system is immature. The neonatal intensive unit can create stress and disrupt their sleep. Going from active to deep sleep is essential for infant brain development, learning and memory formation. Their sleep states early in life predict their developmental outcome. The purpose is to determine whether a conformational positioning system, one that can mold to the baby and contain him or her, will allow more time asleep in premature infants with feeding problems compared to the standard crib mattress. We hypothesize that the number of total sleep time will be longer and the number of arousals out of sleep lower when they are sleeping on the conformational positioning system compared to the mattress.
Background: Although breastfeeding has known protective effects, such as preventing childhood obesity, the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Idaho has a high breastfeeding initiation rate (92%) but a significant prevalence of childhood obesity (30.5% overweight/obese). Limited research exists on the impact of maternal inflammation, maternal body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations in breastmilk on infant health outcomes, especially in healthy full-term infants. Objective: This study aims to expand understanding of the role of maternal inflammation on breastmilk composition and its effect on infant immune development. The investigators seek to investigate the relationship between maternal health status, breastmilk inflammatory concentrations, and balanced immune development in infants. Additionally, the investigators aim to explore the potential influence of early diet exposure, including maternal inflammatory status, on the risk of obesity and other inflammatory conditions. Methods: Healthy full-term infants (breastfed/formula-fed) and their mothers will be recruited. Maternal inflammation markers (BMI, CRP, IL-6) and immune markers in infants will be analyzed. Flow cytometry will assess immune populations. Correlations between maternal systemic inflammation, infant inflammation, and breastmilk inflammatory markers will be examined for breastfeeding mothers. Outcomes: The investigators hypothesize breastfed infants will display a more favorable anti-inflammatory profile. This study will identify factors influencing immune development and potential pathways linking early-life exposures to long-term health outcomes. Findings will inform strategies for promoting balanced immune development and elucidate the role of early diet exposure, including maternal inflammation, as a protective or risk factor for obesity and inflammatory conditions.
Feeding that circumvents the oral cavity drastically alters the infant's feeding experience (pre, intra and post feeding) and may lead to oral feeding difficulty. It is estimated that 35 - 40% of infants exhibit oral feeding difficulty. Consequences include delayed oral feeding, growth failure, and inadequate mother-infant interaction. Behaviors related to the feeding experience include behavioral state transitions, orally directed behaviors, hunger and satiation cues, and social interactive behaviors. It is unknown whether these early behaviors differ for hospitalized infants who receive long term tube feedings when compared with infants fed orally or whether alterations in these behaviors can be early indicators of later oral feeding difficulty. Documentation of these missing or altered behaviors is needed prior to the development and testing of interventions to prevent oral feeding difficulty. For 75 hospitalized infants with long term tube feedings, this research will: 1) describe the range of early feeding behaviors encompassing the feeding experience; 2) identify the change in early feeding behaviors throughout hospitalization; 3) compare the early feeding behaviors of infants with and without oral feeding difficulty at 12 months corrected age (CA); and 4) compare parent perception and provider assessment of feeding, for infants with and without oral feeding difficulty. We will document infant behaviors surrounding the feeding experience during tube feedings weekly during hospital stay. Throughout the first year of life, infant growth, parent perception and clinician assessment of infant feeding and infant and maternal behavior during feeding will be evaluated to document the occurrence of oral feeding difficulty, allowing for a comparison with early in hospital feeding behaviors. To analyze for changes over time, we will use Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) for repeated count (Poisson) and frequency/categorical (logistic and multinomial logistic) outcomes (e.g., frequency of infant behaviors). Understanding the constellation of these behaviors and when they begin, will guide the development of interventions whose goal will be to alleviate the long term consequences of oral feeding difficulty, inform clinical practice, and reduce cost.
The goal of this clinical trial is to test a responsive parenting obesity prevention program with infants and caregivers of color (e.g., non-White; Hispanic/Latinx) and/or who are economically marginalized (i.e., publicly insured), delivered via Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) in pediatric primary care. The main questions it aims to answer are: * 1) Is the obesity prevention intervention delivered via IBH in pediatric primary care feasible and acceptable to families of color and/or families who are economically marginalized? * 2) Will it prevent rapid weight gain during infancy? Participants will complete baseline (newborn), post-treatment (9 months), and follow-up assessments (12 months). Participants assigned to treatment will receive 4 prevention sessions as part of their typical well-child visit in pediatric primary care. Researchers hypothesize that infants in the obesity prevention intervention will have stable weight gain compared to infants in the control group (treatment as usual) will experience more rapid weight gain.
Infants from underserved and minority backgrounds are at increased risk for obesity and poor feeding and nutrition outcomes, but obesity prevention programs tailored specifically to the needs of these infants are lacking. The current study takes a community-engaged approach to development and delivery of an adaptively tailored obesity prevention program delivered via home visiting to target infant eating and feeding (Healthy Eating for My Infant; HEMI).
Premature infants are at high risk of suboptimal health and development. This randomized clinical trial evaluated the impact of a developmentally based intervention, H-HOPE (Hospital-home transition: optimizing prematures' environment), for infants born between 29-34 weeks gestational age (GA) with at least two social-environmental risk factors. H-HOPE will improve infant behavior, mother care for the infants, mother-infant interaction and will reduce health care costs.
The objective of the proposed research is to conduct a within-subject cross-over trial that will compare the efficacy of the two bottle-feeding positions on physiologic and behavioral responses of preterm infants prior to, during, and after feeding. As an exploratory aim, the investigators will also identify potential infant characteristics associated with the intervention response by evaluating infant sex, maturity level, and/or comorbidity. The two bottle-feeding positions will be the semi-elevated side-lying position (hereafter referred to as side-lying position) and the semi-elevated supine position (hereafter referred to as supine position), which is the traditional feeding position when preterm infants are bottle-fed. The investigators hypothesize that compared to the supine position, the side-lying position will be associated with greater physiologic stability in heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and/or autonomic nervous system regulation during and after feeding. The investigators also hypothesize that compared to the supine position, the side-lying position will be associated with more mature patterns of suck-breathe coordination and/or greater feeding skills.
Breastfeeding is good for the health of both mother and baby, but many women do not breastfeed, or do not breastfeed for as long as the participant would like. The purpose of this study is to compare two types of interventions on how each impacts breastfeeding. The interventions will be given during the third trimester of pregnancy, and the intervention is individual (i.e., one therapist and one participant). The first intervention is Motivational Interviewing, a type of counseling. The second intervention, or "control group," is education on how babies grow and develop. There general aims of this study are to compare women in the Motivational Interviewing group and control group on how the participants plan to feed the babies, how much the participants learn about and the participants opinions about breastfeeding, and how much the participants learn about how babies grow and develop. In addition, the groups will be compared as to whether the participants start breastfeeding, and how the participants are feeding the baby when the baby is one month old.