NIH-funded research R03 grant

How parenting practices affect infant movement and language development in low-income families

Official title: Low-income fathers’ and mothers’ parenting practices on infant locomotion and consequent language development: A longitudinal study from 9 to 24 months

Funded at Mount St. Mary's University · NIH-10742535 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study looks at how different parenting styles affect how babies from low-income families learn to move and talk as they grow from 9 to 24 months old, helping us understand the connection between crawling, walking, and language skills in a more diverse group of children.

Quick facts

Grant typeR03 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMount St. Mary's University
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Emmitsburg, United States)
Project startSeptember 1, 2023
Project endAugust 31, 2025
Funding year2023
Award (this year)$168,608
NIH project number1R03HD105225-01A1
Project IDNIH-10742535 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are infants aged 9 to 24 months from low-income families.

Less likely to help

Patients who may not benefit from this research include infants from middle or high-income families.

What this research studies

This research investigates the impact of parenting practices on the locomotion and language development of infants from low-income families, focusing on children aged 9 to 24 months. It aims to understand how factors like crawling and walking relate to language skills, considering that previous studies have primarily focused on middle-class families. By observing and analyzing the behaviors of both fathers and mothers, the research seeks to uncover the mechanisms linking movement to language development in a more diverse population. The study will utilize longitudinal methods to track changes over time, providing valuable insights into early childhood development.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved parenting strategies that enhance language development in infants from low-income families.

How similar studies have gone: While there have been successful studies on infant locomotion and language development, this research specifically addresses a gap by focusing on low-income families, making it a novel approach.

Where this research is happening

  • Mount St. Mary's University
    Emmitsburg, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: He, Minxuan — Mount St. Mary's University
  • Study coordinator: He, Minxuan

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.