Infant growth outcomes from birth to 12 months of age: findings from the Delta Healthy Sprouts randomized comparative impact trial

Abstract

Objective: Multicomponent lifestyle modification interventions designed for gestational and early postnatal periods may be key to preventing obesity in children. The primary objective of the study was to determine if infant growth outcomes differed between treatment arms of an 18-month, maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting project. Methods: Pregnant women at least 18 years of age, less than 19 weeks pregnant and residing in a lower Mississippi Delta county were recruited between March 2013 and December 2014. Postnatal data were collected from 24 experimental and 30 control participants between September 2013 and May 2016. Infant growth outcomes were modelled as time-to-event data using Kaplan–Meier survival curves with log-rank tests to determine if survival curves differed between treatment arms. Results: Retention rates for the experimental and control arms were 88% (21/24) and 83% (25/30), respectively. Approximately three-fourths of infants in both treatment arms were classified as overweight and experienced rapid weight gain during the first 12 months of life. No differences between median times neither to classification as overweight (3–4 months) nor to experiencing rapid weight gain (6–7 months) were observed between treatment arms. Conclusions: As compared with a standard educational (control) curriculum, an educational curriculum enhanced with diet and physical activity components was not effective at improving infant growth outcomes.