How parents' and babies' sleep, body clocks, and appetites affect baby weight risk
Identifying mechanisms of maternal-infant obesity risk transmission: The role of appetite, sleep, and circadian rhythms
This project looks at how pregnant people’s and their infants’ sleep patterns, internal clocks, and appetites relate to babies’ early weight gain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192878 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll about 230 pregnant people in their third trimester and follow their infants through the first year of life. They will track maternal and infant rest-activity and circadian patterns and measure early infant appetitive traits such as food responsiveness and satiety responsiveness. Infant growth and weight will be monitored alongside parent-reported feeding behavior and sleep patterns to see how these factors interact. The study focuses on whether synchronization between maternal and infant circadian rhythms influences appetite development and obesity risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are birthing people in their third trimester (BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2) who can commit to having their baby followed through the first year of life.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, have BMI below 18.5, or cannot complete follow-up visits are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to practical sleep- and feeding-focused approaches to lower infants' future obesity risk.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research in older children and adults has linked sleep and circadian rhythms to appetite and weight, but studying these connections during infancy is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Conlon, Rachel P. Kolko — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Conlon, Rachel P. Kolko
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 below.