Baby Books for parenting and child outcomes through middle childhood
Official title: BB2-MC: Long-term benefits of Baby Books on parenting and child outcomes in middle childhood
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11368687 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A family-focused program uses child-friendly books and caregiver guidance to support children’s learning and behavior as they grow into middle childhood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $620,013 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD119090-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11368687 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families with children aged roughly 0-12 years who are engaged in ongoing pediatric care and are open to using guided books as part of parent-child activities.
✕Less likely to help
Families not using or unable to access the reading-guidance materials may not experience the intended benefits.
What this research studies
This project aims to help parents and caregivers use age-appropriate books to share important parenting guidance during the transition from early to middle childhood. It builds on previous Baby Books programs that included fathers and bilingual materials, and it plans to follow children over several years to see how reading with guidance affects behavior and academic skills. The study emphasizes active follow-up with families in real-world education and home settings to measure changes in aggression, compliance, and language development. By delivering anticipatory guidance during pediatric visits, the project hopes to improve parenting practices and child outcomes in diverse family homes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families may experience better parenting practices and children may show improvements in academic skills and social-emotional behavior.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier BB1 showed improvements in maternal knowledge and child language, and BB2 extended benefits to fathers and coparenting.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reich, Stephanie Michelle — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Reich, Stephanie Michelle
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.