Testing a Responsive Parenting Program to Prevent Obesity in High-Risk Infants Through Pediatric Primary Care

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a responsive parenting program aimed at preventing obesity in infants from communities of color andor economically marginalized backgrounds. This study focuses on delivering the program through Integrated Behavioral Health in pediatric primary care to see if it is feasible, acceptable, and effective in preventing rapid weight gain during infancy. The trial involves infants who are publicly insured or belong to non-White or HispanicLatinx racial or ethnic groups, populations at higher risk for early childhood obesity and related health problems. The trial compares the THRIVE 2.0 responsive parenting intervention with usual pediatric care. The intervention includes four sessions delivered by a trained integrated behavioral health specialist during routine well-child visits at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months of age. THRIVE 2.0 focuses on teaching healthy feeding, sleeping, and regulation habits tailored to infant developmental stages. The control group receives standard pediatric care at the same visits without the additional intervention. Participants will complete assessments at baseline newborn, after treatment 9 months, and at follow-up 12 months. Researchers will measure infant weight gain patterns as the primary outcome and evaluate various feeding, sleeping, behavior, and caregiver-related questionnaires. The study monitors infant growth and development through well-child visits, questionnaires, and diaries, aiming to understand the impact of the parenting program on infant health and obesity risk over the first year of life.

A Novel Obesity Prevention Program for High-Risk Infants in Primary Care