View clinical trials related to Maternal Behavior.
Filter by:Rapid growth early in infancy is a risk factor for obesity and cardiovascular disease later in the lifespan. Evidence is limited, but both pre- and postnatal factors are associated with early rapid growth, and include high maternal BMI prior to pregnancy and excessive gestational weight gain. This research focuses on aspects of early feeding as potentially modifiable factor affecting early infant weight gain. Formula feeding mothers are randomized to receive either 5 oz of 8 oz bottles to use in feeding their infants from 2- to 16 weeks postpartum. In addition, a reference group of exclusively breastfeeding mother-infant dyads are also included. The hypothesis is that differences in feeding practices will be associated with differences in growth and that infants randomized to be fed from smaller bottles will grow more slowly that those randomized to larger bottles. Growth patterns of formula fed infants will also be compared to those of exclusively breastfed infants.
The investigators plan to conduct functional MRI scanning with a group of mothers who are blindly and randomly assigned either intranasal oxytocin or a placebo. The purpose of this investigation is to explore how oxytocin may modify early maternal brain and behavioral responses to infant cues. This study will examine, for the first time, a potential pharmacological intervention for maternal neglect which targets core neurobiological deficits. This may eventually be used to supplement and augment other psychosocial and behavioral interventions. In addition, the investigators will examine sex differences in parental brain and behavioral responses to oxytocin by also recruiting fathers to participate in a similar protocol.