Breastfeeding support to prevent childhood obesity
Official title: Breastfeeding intervention to prevent obesity among children
Funded at University of North Carolina Greensboro · NIH-11125835 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers cash incentives, breast pumps, and home visits to help Hispanic mothers in WIC breastfeed only breast milk for the first six months to lower babies' excess weight gain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Carolina Greensboro NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Greensboro, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $259,870 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK140892-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11125835 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Hispanic mothers with newborns who are eligible for or enrolled in the WIC program, likely living near the study site.
✕Less likely to help
Mothers who already exclusively breastfeed, who do not intend to breastfeed, or who are not eligible for WIC may not receive benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
If you are a Hispanic mother enrolled or eligible for WIC with a newborn, you could be one of 120 participants randomized to receive conditional cash (or cash plus an electric breast pump) and home visits from trained breastfeeding peer counselors. The program lasts from birth to six months and focuses on building breastfeeding knowledge, skills, and confidence using Social Cognitive Theory. Study staff will track breastfeeding practices and infant weight gain to see whether the extra supports lead to more exclusive breastfeeding and healthier infant growth. Participation involves home visits and enrollment in WIC’s Exclusive Breastfeeding Package.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower infants' excess weight gain and reduce childhood obesity and future type 2 diabetes risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links exclusive breastfeeding to lower infant excess weight gain and some breastfeeding-support programs have improved breastfeeding rates, but combining conditional incentives, pumps, and home peer counseling is less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Carolina Greensboro
Greensboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dharod, Jigna Morarji — University of North Carolina Greensboro
- Study coordinator: Dharod, Jigna Morarji
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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.