Understanding how emotions and feeding behaviors develop between mothers and infants
Official title: Fundamental Biobehavioral Mechanisms Underlying the Integrated Development of Emotion, Attachment, and Nutritive Intake in the Mother-Infant Dyad
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11083591 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a mother's feelings and her way of feeding her baby can affect the baby's weight gain and future health, and it’s for moms who want to understand how their actions and emotions might influence their little ones.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $677,634 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK134979-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11083591 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are mothers with infants aged 0 to 6 months who are interested in understanding the impact of their feeding practices on their child's emotional and physical development.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who may not benefit from this research include those with older children or those who are not currently engaged in feeding practices that could influence emotional development.
What this research studies
This research investigates the complex relationship between emotions, attachment, and feeding practices in mothers and their infants. It aims to understand how these factors influence each other and contribute to weight gain in infants, which can lead to obesity later in life. By observing a cohort of 120 children at different developmental stages, the study will explore how maternal behaviors and infant responses to feeding and soothing are interconnected. The research employs innovative experimental methods to gather data on stress physiology and oxytocin levels in both mothers and infants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for preventing childhood obesity by enhancing understanding of maternal feeding practices and emotional connections.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in exploring the connections between maternal behaviors and child obesity, making this approach both relevant and promising.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lumeng, Julie C — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Lumeng, Julie C
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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.