Understanding feeding difficulties in large infants born to obese mothers
Official title: Oral Feeding Difficulty in Large for Gestational Age Infants: Defining Interrelationships between Body Composition, Oral Feeding Ability, and Appetite-Regulating Hormones
Funded at Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando · NIH-10933479 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at why some big babies born to moms with obesity and diabetes have trouble feeding, and it hopes to find ways to help them eat better in the hospital so they can be healthier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $262,504 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK134499-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10933479 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are infants who are classified as large for gestational age and are experiencing oral feeding difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
Infants who are not large for gestational age or do not have feeding difficulties may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the challenges that large for gestational age (LGA) infants face with oral feeding, particularly those born to mothers with obesity and diabetes. It aims to explore how body composition, including fat and muscle mass, affects these infants' ability to feed and their appetite-regulating hormones. By studying the relationships between these factors, the research seeks to identify why some LGA infants struggle with feeding and how this impacts their hospital stay and overall health. The findings could lead to improved feeding strategies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better feeding practices for LGA infants, reducing their hospital stays and improving their health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has indicated that understanding the relationship between body composition and feeding in infants can lead to improved care strategies, suggesting potential success for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Viswanathan, Sreekanth — Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando
- Study coordinator: Viswanathan, Sreekanth
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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.