Early Intervention Program to Improve Heart Health for Mothers and Their Children through Home Visits

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a home visiting intervention aimed at improving cardiovascular health for mothers and their children. This cluster randomized clinical trial, called Early Intervention to Promote Cardiovascular Health of Mothers and Children ENRICH, is funded by the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute. It seeks to reduce disparities in maternal and early childhood cardiovascular health by working with community programs where cardiovascular disease risk factors are common. The study compares two groups one receiving home visits enriched with cardiovascular health promotion content and one receiving usual home visits without this added content. The enhanced intervention starts during pregnancy and continues until children turn 2 years old. It includes information on healthy eating, physical activity, weight management, tobacco use, sleep, and stress reduction. Participants also receive tools such as scales, Fitbits, and blood pressure monitors to help with self-monitoring, along with guidance on infant nutrition, feeding, growth, and emotional care. Participants include mother-child pairs recruited from evidence-based home visiting programs. Researchers will assess outcomes like parent physical activity, diet quality using the Mediterranean Eating Pattern for Americans scale, body mass index, and blood pressure at 12 months after birth. Child body mass index will also be measured at 24 months. The study uses double masking and randomization to assign groups. Participation involves regular home visits and monitoring over the first two years after birth, with study-related assessments during this time.

Early Intervention to Promote Cardiovascular Health of Mothers and Children