The Baby Care Study

University at Buffalo (UB)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Parenting; Eating Behavior; Obesity; Sleep

Treatments: Behavioral: Baby Care; Behavioral: Baby Sleep

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05322174

STUDY00005999

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to provide pilot data on the feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based social networking intervention designed to promote sleep early in infancy and to explore the potential for this approach to promote healthy feeding routines, eating behaviors, and weight outcomes in subsequent larger-scale intervention research. First-time parents will be recruited (n=66) and randomized to an 8-week web-based social networking sleep intervention or general baby care control group with interventions beginning at infant age 8 weeks. Parents will complete online surveys, with research questions including: 1) whether the sleep intervention leads to longer nighttime and total sleep duration and decreased night waking among infants and 2) longer infant sleep bouts and improved parent sleep duration, stress, parenting efficacy, and parenting satisfaction. We will also examine infants' routines, feeding and eating behaviors, and emotion regulation to inform the application of this approach for childhood obesity prevention. The pilot research will provide insights into intervention feasibility, effects on infant sleep, and potential impacts on feeding and eating outcomes, informing our next steps.

Enrollment: 74 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• English-speaking, first-time parents/legal guardians >18 years of a young infant who is < 6 weeks at the time of recruitment (or pregnant first-time parents expecting an infant soon). We will not include any parents who report that they do not have access to or an interest in using a private group on social media and/or online surveys.

Exclusion criteria

• We will exclude families not meeting age criteria, as well as any parents who report that they do not have access to or an interest in using a private group on social media and/or online surveys. We will also exclude parents of infants who are born premature (prior to 37 weeks gestational age) and parents of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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74 participants in 2 patient groups

Baby Sleep

Experimental group

Description:

Those randomized to this intervention group will receive an interactive online intervention focused on promoting infant sleep. This will include membership in a private Facebook group with support provided in the group, including weekly resources in the form of videos and tip sheets. To supplement this, they will also receive items meant to help with sleep (ex. sleep sack, baby sleep book).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Baby Sleep

Baby Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

The active control condition will parallel the intervention, but will be focused on general baby care and not sleep. Participants will be added to a private Facebook group in which general baby care information will be shared (e.g., bathing, play) and will receive items to help with general baby care (e.g., baby care kit with items such as nail clippers and comb; general baby care book). Topics related to sleep and feeding will not be highlighted in this group.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Baby Care