Clinical Research Directory

EFFECTS OF AN EMOTION-FOCUSED INTERVENTION ON EMOTION RECOGNITION AND LIFE SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Early childhood is a critical period for the development of emotional competencies that contribute to children's psychosocial well-being and adaptive functioning. This study aimed to examine the effects of a preventive emotion-focused intervention on emotion recognition and life skills in preschool children. A pilot cluster-randomized controlled pretest-posttest design was used with 62 children aged 48-79 months in a kindergarten in Central Anatolia, Türkiye. Four classrooms were randomized within two age groups, with one intervention and one control classroom in each age group. The intervention comprised six weeks of emotion-focused activities involving drama, music, art, play, and storytelling. Emotion recognition and life skills were assessed before and after the intervention using Denham's Affect Knowledge Test and the Early Childhood Life Skills Scale, respectively.

Classroom Exercise Snacks for Creativity, Motor Skills, and Academic Engagement in Elementary School Children

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether brief, classroom-based exercise snacks (short bursts of physical activity performed during class time) can improve creativity, motor skills, and academic engagement in elementary school students (Grades 4-6). The study aims to answer whether integrating short exercise breaks into the school day can enhance children's physical and cognitive development without disrupting regular instruction.

A Mobile App to Improve 24-Hour Movement Guideline Adherence in Preschoolers

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a home-based mHealth intervention can improve adherence to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines in preschool-aged children (3-4 years old) who currently meet 0 or 1 of the guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can the intervention increase the proportion of children meeting all three 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (physical activity, screen-time, and sleep)? * Is the intervention feasible for parents to implement, as measured by a parent feedback survey? Researchers will compare an intervention group to a waitlist control group to assess whether the intervention leads to increased guideline adherence. Parents and Participants: * Children will wear an accelerometer to track physical activity and sleep patterns. * Parents will use a mobile app that delivers weekly lessons and behavior-related goals to encourage healthy movement behaviors in their children. * Parents will complete questionnaires on their child's movement behaviors and development at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. * Additionally, children will undergo motor skills assessments, and parents will provide feedback on cognitive development and behavioral changes.

Leveraging Families to Promote Healthy Socio-Emotional Development in Children

The objective of this research is to evaluate a mobile app-based intervention for parents of children in K-2nd grade designed that guides them in how to have productive conversations about race with their children. This study will recruit a national sample of parents and their K-2nd grade children. The impact of the intervention is tested using a wait-list controlled trial design. Outcomes include prosocial behaviors and indicators of emotional well-being.

Baby's First Years

Recent advances in developmental neuroscience suggest that experiences early in life can have profound and enduring influences on the developing brain. Family economic resources shape the nature of many of these experiences, yet the extent to which they affect children's development is unknown. The project's team of neuroscientists, economists and developmental psychologists is seeking to fill important gaps in scientific knowledge about the role of economic resources in early development by evaluating the first U.S. randomized controlled trial to determine whether unconditional cash gift payments have a causal effect on the cognitive, socio-emotional and brain development of infants and toddlers in low-income U.S. families. Specifically, 1,000 mothers of infants with incomes below the federal poverty line from four diverse U.S. communities were recruited from post-partum wards and are receiving monthly cash gift payments by debit card for the first 76 months of the child's life. Parents in the experimental group and receiving $333 per month ($3,996 per year), whereas parents in the active comparator group are receiving a nominal monthly payment of $20. In order to understand the impacts of the added income on children's cognitive and behavioral development, the investigators are assessing treatment group differences at ages 4 (this lab assessment was postponed from age 3 to age 4 due to Covid-19), 6, and 8 in lab-administered measures of cognitive, language, and self-regulation development and maternal reports of socio-emotional development. A number of other maternal-reported child outcome measures were gathered at ages 1, 2 and 3. Brain circuitry may be sensitive to the effects of early experience even before early behavioral differences can be detected. In order to understand the impacts of added income on children's brain functioning at age 4, 6, and 8, the investigators will assess, during a lab visit, experimental/active comparator group differences in measures of brain activity (electroencephalography \[EEG\]). The targeted age for each data collection wave is around the child's birthday, i.e. at 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, 72 months, and 96 months. To understand how family economic behavior, parenting, and parent stress and well-being change in response to income enhancement, the investigators will assess experimental/active comparator differences in family expenditures, food insecurity, housing and neighborhood quality, family routines and time use, parent stress, mental health and cognition, parenting practices, and child care and preschool arrangements. School readiness and outcomes are being assessed at ages 6 and 8. This study will thus provide the first definitive understanding of the extent to which income plays a causal role in determining early child cognitive, socio-emotional and brain development among low-income families.

A Hybrid Effectiveness/Implementation Trial of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development

The aim of this study is to conduct a hybrid effectiveness/implementation assessment of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) in two LMIC settings, India and Guatemala, within established rural CHW programs. The primary objectives are (a) to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of the GMCD; (b) to use an implementation science framework to understand barriers and facilitators to effective population coverage, provider implementation, and maintenance; (c) to conduct an economic evaluation of the GMCD.

Effects of Five Stones Pebble Game on In-Hand Manipulation and Hand Writing Skills of School-going Children

This randomized controlled trial will be conducted on 26 school-going children (aged 8-12 years) from The City School and Classic School System, randomly assigned to a traditional play group or an unstructured gameplay group (n=13 each). The Five Stones Pebble Game intervention will be administered for 5 weeks, with 30-minute sessions, four times per week. In-hand manipulation will be assessed using Timed-TIHM, Box and Blocks Test, and Nine Hole Peg Test, while handwriting will be evaluated using ETCH. Ethical approval will be obtained from Riphah International University, and data will be analyzed using SPSS version 23.0.

CenteringParenting Clinical Intervention on Kindergarten Readiness in Early Childhood

Disparities in health begin in early childhood. Early life experiences influence brain development and have significant implications on future health and developmental outcomes. Low-income children are at greater risk of developmental delays in large part due to a lack of an enriched environment. Disparities in early childhood development increase risk for stunted academic achievement throughout the life course. Primary care is a universal exposure in early childhood and therefore is also a significant entry point for promoting optimal child development. There is a need to provide effective, low-cost, and scalable interventions in primary care to support early childhood development.The CenteringParenting intervention is designed to reduce negative health and developmental outcomes within a model of group routine child health care. To date, there is no evidence of the benefits of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness, or improvements in parental behaviors that support optimal developmental milestones and achievement. The intent of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness in early childhood, as measured by language development at 24 months, (in addition to health care utilization, child routine care maintenance, parenting stress, caregiver behaviors and attitudes).

The Pittsburgh Study Early Childhood

The Early Childhood Collaborative of The Pittsburgh Study is a community-partnered, county-wide implementation of programs for children and families from birth through formal school entry to address real-world challenges that exist in providing effective preventive interventions for families with young children, particularly low-income families.

Efficacy of Electric Fans in Children During Heat Waves

Extreme heat exposure is an escalating global public health concern, with climate change driving increases in the frequency, duration, and intensity of heat events. Projections indicate substantial increases in heat-related morbidity and mortality in the coming decades, including among children and youth, who are increasingly recognized as a physiologically vulnerable population. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly used heat-mitigation strategies, specifically midday access daylong electric fan use, in reducing physiological strain and maintaining cognitive function, perceptual comfort, and psychological well-being in children and youth exposed to prolonged indoor heat. The study also aims to determine whether these strategies provide comparable protection in children and youth relative to young adults. Participants will complete four sessions under the same environmental conditions (31°C and 36°C), with each temperature completed twice: once with continuous electric fan use and once without fan use. The four sessions therefore consist of: (1) 31°C without fan use; (2) 31°C with fan use; (3) 36°C without fan use; and (4) 36°C with fan use.

Play-Based Motor Training in Children Aged 7-10 Years

This randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of an 8-week structured play-based motor training program on motor competence in children (boys and girls) aged 7-10 years. Eighty eligible participants (40 boys and 40 girls) were individually randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group or a usual physical-education control group. The intervention consisted of 24 play-based motor-training sessions delivered three times per week for 60 minutes, whereas the control group continued usual physical education twice per week for 40 minutes. The primary outcome was motor competence assessed using the MABC-2 total score. Cognitive test performance measured using the Kay Cognitive-Diagnostic Test and parent-rated executive-function difficulties measured using the BRIEF Parent Form were exploratory secondary outcomes. Posttest outcomes were compared between groups using ANCOVA with the corresponding baseline score as a covariate. This study record was created retrospectively after completion of the study.

The Influence of Maternal Age, Employment Status, and Parenthood Status on Children's Cognitive Development

Research and theory tend to agree when suggesting that certain activities done by mothers have both immediate and delayed consequences for children's mental development in the first years of life. The everyday interaction between an infant and a caregiver can be broken down into many categories. There are data linking both of these types of interaction to the mental development of children. The study will focus on the extent to which maternal characteristics (age, employment status, parenthood status, and birth order of the child) influence the relation between maternal social and didactic caregiving and the social and mental development of children. Mother-infant interaction will be observed when the infants are 5 months old. When the children are 20 months old, measures of toddler function (e.g., ability to play and language development) and maternal behavior (e.g., encouragement of attention to the environment and I.Q.) will be obtained. When the children are 48 months old, researchers will measure preschooler psychosocial functioning (e.g., I.Q., cognitive and social competencies) and maternal behavior (e.g., "scaffolding"). Understanding the relation between children's experiences as infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and their eventual intellectual and social functioning is an essential part of normal developmental research.\<TAB\>

Effects of Animal Fun Program in Children With DCD.

This randomized clinical trial investigates the effects of animal fun program on motor skills in children with developmental coordination disorder. The study involves 40 children from normal school age group 6 to 12 year old, who will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups for a six-week intervention period. Key performance outcomes -body management truck control, locomotion, balance ,object control,body sequencing social and emotional control will be assessed both before and after the intervention.This study aims to address this gap by evaluating the effects of the Animal Fun Program on both fine and gross motor activity levels in children diagnosed with DCD. By examining objective motor outcomes and child engagement, the study seeks to determine whether this novel, enjoyable intervention can enhance traditional therapy methods, leading to improved motor development and overall quality of life for children with DCD. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 27.00.

Factors Affecting Newborn Body Composition and Later Health in Helsinki Birth Cohort 2018-2022

In Helsinki Birth Cohort 2018-2022 a large, longitudinal and well-phenotyped birth cohort of infants and their parents will be established. Mothers, fathers/spouses and their children in Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District are recruited in the study and newborn composition of the children born in Helsinki Women's Hospital will be measured. Data on maternal and paternal diet quality, physical activity and depression during and after pregnancy will be collected and data from the hospital and national registers will be collected. Health of offspring and parents will be followed during their later life.

Implementing BEAM: A Scalable Digital Mental Health Program, for Families of Children Referred to Neurodevelopmental Services

Families of children with neurodevelopmental differences (NDDs) experience disproportionately high levels of parenting stress and mental health difficulties, including elevated depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden. These challenges are often compounded by increased caregiving demands, system navigation stress, and limited access to timely, tailored mental health supports. Parental mental health plays a critical role in family functioning and child outcomes; however, existing services for families of children with NDDs are frequently fragmented, inaccessible, or focused primarily on child behavior rather than caregiver well-being. As a result, many caregivers experience unmet mental health needs that persist throughout early and middle childhood. To address this gap, our team developed BEAM (Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health), an app-based parenting and mental health intervention that integrates psychoeducation, peer support, progress monitoring, and coached support. Clinical trials evaluating BEAM with parents of young children have demonstrated promising improvements in parental depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, as well as reductions in harsh parenting practices. Building on this evidence base, the current trial examines the implementation and outcomes of BEAM delivered as-is to families of children with NDDs (BEAM-NDD), without content adaptation, to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness within this high-need population. This trial uses a single-arm pre-post design to evaluate BEAM-NDD among parents and caregivers of children with diagnosed or suspected neurodevelopmental differences. Primary aims are to (1) assess feasibility and acceptability of BEAM-NDD, including recruitment, retention, engagement, satisfaction, and perceived unmet needs; (2) examine changes in caregiver mental health and parenting outcomes following program participation; and (3) explore individual differences in engagement and outcomes to identify for whom BEAM-NDD may be more or less effective. Participants will complete a 12-week intervention delivered through the BEAM app, consisting of weekly parenting and mental health videos, progress tracking, a moderated peer forum, and optional peer-coaching support. Assessments will be completed at baseline prior to program initiation (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and at follow-up (T3). By evaluating BEAM-NDD within real-world service contexts, this trial aims to determine whether an existing evidence-based digital parenting and mental health intervention can support caregiver well-being among families of children with NDDs without requiring adaptation. Findings will inform the scalability and sustainability of BEAM-NDD as an accessible mental health support for families facing long waitlists, limited specialized services, or geographic barriers to care.

The Effect of In-utero Exposure to Metformin in 5-11 Year Old Offspring of Mothers in the MiTy Trial

The incidence of diabetes in pregnancy is rising, with rates of 1 in 7 pregnancies globally. Metformin is used for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) outside of pregnancy and is now increasingly prescribed during pregnancy. There are some concerns as metformin crosses the placenta and effects on offspring exposed during pregnancy are unknown. Animal and human evidence indicate that metformin may create an atypical in-utero environment similar to under-nutrition which has been associated with adult obesity. This is supported by studies in children of mothers treated with metformin in other populations where an increase in childhood obesity was found at 4-9 years of age. We now have evidence from the MiTy trial, that offspring of metformin-exposed women with T2DM have less large infants and are less adipose at birth, but are also more likely to be small for gestational age (SGA). These effects could lead to benefit or harm in the long-term. Offspring of MiTy mothers are currently being followed up to 2 years. Given that long-term effects may not be evident until 5 years of age, it is imperative to follow these children longer. Goals/Research Aims:To determine whether in-utero exposure to metformin, in offspring of women with T2DM, is beneficial or harmful in the long-term. Research Questions: 1. In offspring of women with T2DM, how does treatment with metformin during pregnancy affect a) adiposity b) growth over time c) metabolic syndrome d) cognitive and behavioral measures:2. What factors predict altered childhood adiposity and insulin resistance in these offspring? Primary Outcome: Body mass index (BMI) z-score. Secondary Outcomes: 1) other measures of adiposity (i.e. skinfolds, 2) growth over time 3) measures of insulin resistance 4) adipocytokines 5)neurodevelopment Expected Outcomes Given these increasing concerns, this study will inform the best treatment for pregnant mothers with diabetes by studying the long-term outcomes of children exposed to metformin during pregnancy.

Healthy Adaptation to Pregnancy, Postpartum and Parenthood

Healthy Adaptation to Pregnancy, Postpartum and Parenthood (HAP3) The HAP3 study is evaluating a new digital support program for pregnant women and their partners. The program includes the HAP3 Family App, which provides information and practical tools on healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, emotional well-being, pregnancy and postpartum care, healthy weight management, parenting, and child development. Researchers want to find out whether the app is easy to use, acceptable to families, and practical to implement during pregnancy and after birth. The study will also explore whether using the app may help improve parents' mental well-being, healthy lifestyle habits, weight management, and early child development. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive access to the full HAP3 Family App, personalized coaching by phone or video call, and supportive messages. The other group will receive usual care and use the app only to complete study questionnaires. The study will follow families from pregnancy until six months after birth. Participants will complete questionnaires about their health, well-being, and parenting experiences. Those using the full app will also be asked to complete brief in-app check-ins about mood, sleep, stress, and daily habits. The HAP3 intervention is not a medical treatment and involves minimal risk. Potential benefits include increased awareness of health behaviors, access to evidence-based information, and support during the transition to parenthood. The study is being conducted by researchers from KU Leuven (Belgium), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands), and Technische Universität Dresden (Germany) as part of the European HAP3 project.

Study of the Effects of Soy Exposure in Early Life on Bone Development and Gut Microbiota

In this project, the investigators aim to investigate the effects of soy consumption at early life on the development of gut microbiota and bone growth. The hypothesis to be tested is that early-life exposure to soy optimize bone growth via the alteration of gut microbiota composition. Clinical samples from mother-child pairs recruited into the SMART Gen Hong Kong cohort will be used to examine the association between maternal soy intake with infant gut microbiota and child's bone development. Primary outcome: Bone mineral density; dynamic bone formation parameters; messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of bone markers. Secondary outcome: Gut microbiome profile; metabolomic profile in serum, urine or feces; correlation between soy-induced gut microbiota or metabolites and bone growth. The investigators expect that early life exposure to soy will improve bone growth via gut microbiota and provide scientific evidences for the use of soy preparation in early life as a preventive measure for optimizing bone health.

Generation Victoria Cohort 2020s: A Statewide Longitudinal Cohort Study of Victorian Children and Their Parents

Generation Victoria (GenV) is a longitudinal, population-based study of Victorian children and their parents that will bring together data on a wide range of conditions ,exposures and outcomes. GenV blends study-collected, study-enhanced and linked data. It will be multi-purpose, supporting observational, interventional, health services and policy research within the same cohort. It is designed to address physical, mental and social issues experienced during childhood, as well as the antecedents of a wide range of diseases of ageing. It seeks to generate translatable evidence (prediction, prevention, treatments, services) to improve future wellbeing and reduce the future disease burden of children and adults. The GenV Cohort 2020s is open to all children born over a two-year period, and their parents, residing in the state of Victoria Australia. The GenV Cohort 2020s is preceded by an Advance Cohort of children born between 5 Dec 2020 and 3 October 2021, and their parents. This comprises all families recruited at GenV's Vanguard hospital (Joan Kirner Women's and Children's) and at birthing hospitals throughout Victoria as GenV scaled up to commence recruiting for the GenV Cohort 2020s. The Advance Cohort have ongoing and full participation in GenV for their lifetime unless they withdraw but may have less complete data and biosamples.

Single-Session Psychotherapy for Young Kids Through Patient Engagement Techniques

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare outcomes between participants in the single-session psychotherapy for young kids (SPYKids) conditions and participants in the services as usual (SAU) condition. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the feasibility and acceptability of SPYKids compared to services as usual? * What are the changes in child mental health between the SPYKids group compared with the SAU group? Participants will * Fill out questionnaires at baseline, immediately post-program, approximately one month after the baseline assessment, and three months after the baseline assessment * Meet with a parent coach in a virtual 90-minute session to discuss coping strategies relevant to their identified concerns Researchers will compare participants in the SPYKids group with participants in the Services as Usual group to see if there are changes in child well-being, parent well-being, and parent self-efficacy.

Born In Guangzhou Intervention Study

The main objective of this study is to test the efficacy of an intervention package (dietary, physical and lifestyle modification) during pregnancy in improving the clinical outcomes of mother-infant dyads.

School-Based Mental Health Effectiveness Study

This study involves efforts to advance the science of prevention in early childhood mental health in low-resource communities. Investigators will assess the effectiveness, practical implementation strategies, and underlying mechanisms of the evidence-based intervention, ParentCorps-Professional Development, in urban and rural Uganda. Two implementation approaches, with and without the teacher stress management package, T-Wellness, will be compared for efficacy.

A Study to Compare the Long-term Outcomes After Two Different Anaesthetics

There is considerable evidence that most general anaesthetics modulate brain development in animal studies. The impact is greater with longer durations of exposure and in younger animals. There is great controversy over whether or not these animal data are relevant to human clinical scenarios. The changes seen in preclinical studies are greatest with GABA agonists and NMDA antagonists such as volatile anaesthetics (eg sevoflurane), propofol, midazolam, ketamine, and nitrous oxide. There is less evidence for an effect with opioid (such as remifentanil) or with alpha 2 agonists (such as dexmedetomidine). Some, but not all, human cohort studies show an association between exposure to anaesthesia in infancy or early childhood and later changes in cognitive tests, school performance or risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. The evidence is weak due to possible confounding. A recent well designed cohort study (the PANDA study) comparing young children that had hernia repair to their siblings found no evidence for a difference in a range of detailed neuropsychological tests. In that study most children were exposed to up to two hours of anaesthesia. The only trial (the GAS trial) has compared children having hernia repair under regional or general anesthesia and has found no evidence for a difference in neurodevelopment when tested at two years of age. The GAS and PANDA studies confirm the animal data that short exposure is unlikely to cause any neurodevelopmental impact. The impact of longer exposures is still unknown. In humans the strongest evidence for an association between surgery and poor neurodevelopmental outcome is in infants having major surgery. However, this is also the group where confounding is most likely. The aim of our study is to see if a new combination of anaesthetic drugs results in a better long-term developmental outcome than the current standard of care for children having anaesthesia expected to last 2 hours or longer. Children will be randomised to receive either a low dose sevoflurane/remifentanil/dexmedetomidine or standard dose sevoflurane anaesthetic. They will receive a neurodevelopmental assessment at 3 years of age to assess global cognitive function.

The Effect of Movement Education on Fundamental Biomotor Skills in Children Aged 6-9

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if movement training improves speed, jumping ability, and flexibility in children aged 6 to 9. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does movement training improve sprint speed in young children? Does movement training help children jump farther? Does movement training improve body flexibility? Participants completed a 6-week movement training program. They took part in 60-minute exercise sessions 2 times a week. Researchers measured the participants' height, weight, speed, long jump, and flexibility before and after the 6-week training program to see if their physical skills improved.