Improving child neurodevelopment in Guatemala through caregiver coaching and gut-health nutrition
Official title: The INICIO-Guatemala Study: Improving Neurodevelopment with an Intestinal Health and Caregivers’ Intervention in the Occidente, Guatemala
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11412703 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in Guatemala will test whether a caregiver training plus a nutritional plan focused on gut health can support better brain development in young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $327,300 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD116306-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11412703 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children from birth up to 11 years in Guatemala who are at risk for malnutrition and developmental delays, and whose caregivers can participate in training.
✕Less likely to help
Children without access to participating caregivers or who cannot adhere to the nutrition plan may see limited or no benefit.
What this research studies
This project targets children aged 0-11 years in Guatemala and combines caregiver instruction with a nutrition plan featuring rice bran and beans to improve intestinal health and neurodevelopment. The approach includes training caregivers to provide stimulating interactions while delivering a diet designed to reduce environmental enteric dysfunction. Researchers will monitor growth, nutrition biomarkers, and neurodevelopmental outcomes over several years to see if the intervention supports healthier development. The study is conducted by a collaboration between US and Guatemalan partners and will enroll families in real-world settings to assess feasibility and impact.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve early brain development and growth by addressing both nutrition and caregiver support in resource-limited settings.
How similar studies have gone: Prior caregiver interventions and gut-health nutrition strategies have shown promise in improving development in similar settings, but this exact combination is being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Becker-Dreps, Sylvia Irene — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Becker-Dreps, Sylvia Irene
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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.