GrowSmart: A kid-friendly AI tool to help primary care teams prevent obesity
Official title: GrowSmart: Pilot trial of an AI-based obesity prevention tool in pediatric primary care
Funded at Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware · NIH-11449950 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pediatric primary care tool using artificial intelligence helps identify kids at risk for obesity and supports doctors and families in choosing healthy lifestyle steps.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Wilmington, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $358,144 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK146305-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11449950 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 2 to 11 years who visit participating primary care clinics and are at risk for obesity.
✕Less likely to help
Children without obesity risk or with different health priorities may receive limited direct benefit from this tool.
What this research studies
GrowSmart is an AI-based tool designed for use in pediatric primary care to predict a child’s risk of developing obesity using electronic health record data. The project will integrate GrowSmart into the clinic’s workflow and test it with busy PCPs to make it easy to discuss healthy habits. A pilot study at twenty Nemours clinics will see whether the tool improves conversations about healthy eating and activity with families, using tailored natural language guidance. If successful, this approach could help many children start preventive actions before obesity develops.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help families prevent obesity by supporting proactive, personalized conversations and actions during routine visits.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has validated similar AI-based growth and risk prediction approaches and shown usability with clinicians.
Where this research is happening
-
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
Wilmington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Phan-Vo, Thao-Ly Tam — Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
- Study coordinator: Phan-Vo, Thao-Ly Tam
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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.