Prenatal Programming of Childhood Obesity and Cardio Metabolic Disorders
Cardiometabolic DiseasesObesityThis is a prospective 11-17 -years follow-up of two existing pregnancy cohort (PREDO) and prevention (RADIEL) studies. The main objective is to investigate the associations between maternal overweight, obesity, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and maternal-fetal metabolome, child's birth outcomes, and overweight and obesity and cardio metabolic health outcomes in childhood and adolescence. During this follow-up study, the mothers and their 11-17-year-old children are invited for a study visit and their cardio metabolic health is studied by many different methods.
Project THINK: Trajectories of Health, Ingestive Behaviors, and Neurocognition in Kids
Pediatric ObesityBinge-Eating DisorderOverweight/obesity and loss of control eating (characterized by the sense that one cannot control what or how much one is eating) are prevalent among children and adolescents, and both are associated with serious medical and psychosocial health complications. Although our recently published data suggest that youth with these conditions may have relative deficits in neurocognitive functioning, particularly working memory, understanding of how these processes and their neural correlates are related to change and stability in eating and weight-related outcomes over time is limited, thereby impeding development of targeted, optimally timed interventions. The present study aims to assess prospective associations between general and food-specific executive functioning and underlying neural substrates, and eating and weight outcomes among children at varying levels of risk overweight/obesity and eating disorders, which will help guide research efforts towards the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies.
The Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS)
Intrauterine HyperglycemiaPregnancy Outcomes4 moreThe Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS) was established to investigate the short- and long-term effects of exposure in early life on health consequences in Guangzhou, China. Data are collected regarding environmental, occupational and lifestyle exposures as well as health outcomes in later life. Biological samples including blood and tissue samples are also collected from the participants.
Respiratory Effects of Obesity in Children
Childhood ObesityIn obese children, excess fat on the thorax exerts an unfavorable burden on the respiratory system, particularly during exercise; however, it is unclear if this burden reduces exercise tolerance, provokes dyspnea on exertion, or contributes to respiratory symptoms that could be misdiagnosed as asthma, placing obese children at risk of unnecessary treatment and potentially a reluctance to exercise explaining reports of low physical activity and fitness levels, which are counterproductive to weight loss. The investigators will examine the respiratory effects of obesity in prepubescent boys and girls, including those with respiratory symptoms misdiagnosed as asthma, before and after 1) a program of weight loss and regular exercise and 2) continued weight gain as compared with prepubescent normal weight boys and girls before and after 1 year. These results will have broad and immediate clinical impact on the care of obese children, especially those with respiratory symptoms misdiagnosed as asthma, and the results could alter interventional approaches for preventing and treating childhood obesity.
The Baby Act Trial
Obesity in ChildhoodChildhood obesity is increasing, particularly among Hispanics. Rapid weight gain during childhood increases the risk of obesity in childhood and in adulthood, also increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. This can be prevented with interventions during early in life that address multiple risk factors associated with the early development of obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to test an intervention to promote baby activation and improve their sleep patterns and feeding patterns from birth to 12 months of age. For this purpose, pregnant women participating in the Special Nutrition Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program in Puerto Rico will be recruited and randomly assigned to the control group (usual care within the program) or to the WIC + group (usual care + intervention). The intervention will focus on age-appropriate physical activity for children, healthy sleep and limited time on the screen, healthy dietary patterns and growth monitoring. The content will be delivered with a multimedia approach (web platform, mobile messages and telephone follow-up). If successful, this intervention could be adopted by the WIC program in Puerto Rico to help prevent childhood obesity among its participants. This will help improve the health of minorities and eliminate health disparities among Hispanics and other at-risk groups.
Health Literacy and Obesogenic Behaviors
ObesityAdolescent8 moreThe prevalence of adolescent behaviors that can lead to obesity are alarming, and reduced life expectancy is the future of America's youth if behavioral changes are not implemented to improve health and reduce the obesity burden. Researchers have argued that health literacy is a precursor to health knowledge and is necessary for translating knowledge about healthy choices into behavior, with low health literacy being associated with reduced preventive health behaviors in adults. Given the lack of health literacy-specific interventions addressing adolescents' obesogenic behaviors, the purpose of this study is to examine the preliminary effectiveness of adding a health literacy module to an obesity prevention intervention that addresses adolescents' obesogenic behaviors.
Pediatric Hypertension and the Renin-Angiotensin SystEm (PHRASE)
HypertensionLeft Ventricular Hypertrophy16 moreStudying the causal roles of components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (including angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), Ang II, and ACE), uric acid, and klotho in pediatric hypertension and related target organ injury, including in the heart, kidneys, vasculature, and brain. Recruiting children with a new hypertension diagnosis over a 2-year period from the Hypertension and Pediatric Nephrology Clinics affiliated with Brenner Children's Hospital at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital. Healthy control participants will be recruited from local general primary care practices. Collecting blood and urine samples to analyze components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (Ang-(1-7), ACE2, Ang II, ACE), uric acid, and klotho, and measuring blood pressure, heart structure and function, autonomic function, vascular function, and kidney function at baseline, year 1, and year 2. Objectives are to investigate phenotypic and treatment response variability and to causally infer if Ang-(1-7), ACE2, Ang II, ACE, uric acid, and klotho contribute to target organ injury due to hypertension.
NOURISH-T+: Promoting Healthy Eating and Exercise Behaviors
ObesityChildhood2 morePediatric cancer survivors are at an increased risk of excessive weight gain and reduced exercise behaviors with the potential for this risk to worsen over time. With over 80% of pediatric cancer patients living to adulthood, many pediatric cancer survivors experience long-term health consequences such as heart disease - the leading cause of death in this population. The purpose of this clinical research study is to teach parents/caregivers skills that will help prevent and reduce the problems of obesity in childhood cancer survivors. In this study, parents have the opportunity to participate in one of two web-based groups in which parents in either group will learn valuable information to improve the health of their child and of themselves.
Obesogenic Origins of Maternal and Child Metabolic Health Involving Dolutegravir
HIVObesity4 moreA total of 1900 pregnant women in the 1st trimester and their children will be enrolled and followed for two years (ORCHID study main cohort). As part of this, mother-infant pairs will be required to attend up to 10 study visits separate from routine clinic visits, these visits include 3 antenatal visits (less than or equal to 18, 24-28 and 32-36 weeks) and 7 postnatal visits (<2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months). Measurements in mothers will include demographics and health status, HIV disease and ART use, intercurrent medical history including concomitant medication use, HIV viral load testing, ART adherence, HIV antibody testing in women without HIV; body composition, caloric intake, dysglycemia and insulin resistance (IR), lipid profiles, anthropometry, resting energy expenditure, hepatic steatosis, specimen collection (whole blood, plasma, serum, urine, placenta and breastmilk), systemic and adipose inflammation, as well as metabolites, lipid subspecies and eicosanoids. Measurements in infants will include uterine gestational age and fetal growth, as well as metabolites, lipid subspecies and eicosanoids, body composition, dysglycemia and IR, lipid profiles, anthropometry, feeding, specimen collection (cord blood, whole blood, plasma and serum) and intercurrent medical history including concomitant medication use. Additional data on maternal health in pregnancy and birth outcomes will be abstracted from medical records.
Community Active and Healthy Families
ObesityChildhoodTo address childhood overweight disparities among Latino children in immigrant families a pilot trial of a community-based obesity treatment program, Community Active and Healthy Families (AHF), among 5-12 year old overweight and obese Latino children in immigrant families using pre/post design will be conducted. The hypothesis is that children participating in Community-AHF will demonstrate a reduction in child body mass index as measured by %BMIp95 (primary outcome) and improved diet physical activity behaviors (secondary outcomes) at intervention completion compared with pre-intervention