Trial results for an intervention targeting childhood obesity and maternal weight retention were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-05-11, showing 12 infants in the intervention group had rapid weight gain compared to 27 in the control group for one measurement.
Background
Obesity, including childhood obesity and overweight, represents a significant public health challenge with long-term health implications. Early life interventions, particularly during the first 1000 days of an infant's life, are crucial for influencing weight and health trajectories. Factors such as social determinants of health, physical activity, and feeding behaviors play a critical role in the development of obesity. Engaging both parents, especially fathers, in health promotion efforts for mother-father-infant triads from racial/ethnic minority and health disparity populations is an area of active research to modify disease risk and improve healthcare services.
Trial design
This completed trial (NCT04477577), titled 'First Heroes: Engaging Fathers in the First 1000 Days', enrolled 657 participants. The study aimed to influence weight and health trajectories, modify disease risk, and improve health care services for mother-father-infant triads from racial/ethnic minority and health disparity populations. The conditions studied included Childhood Obesity, Overweight and Obesity, Social Determinants of Health, Physical Activity, and Feeding Behavior. Participants were assigned to one of two arms: a 'New Parent Intervention' or a 'Safety Control' arm, with interventions delivered through the offspring's first-year birthday. The trial phase was not specified (NA).
Key results
The key results for the trial are as follows:
- For 'Number of Infants With Rapid Infant Weight Gain', the 'New Parent Intervention - Infant' group reported 12 participants in one measurement and 21 participants in another. The 'Safety Control- Infant' group reported 27 participants and 39 participants for the respective measurements.
- Regarding 'Number of Overweight Infant Participants (WHO Criteria)', there were 2 participants in the 'New Parent Intervention - Infant' group compared to 3 in the 'Safety Control - Infant' group.
- For 'Number of Overweight Infant Participants (CDC Criteria)', the 'New Parent Intervention- Infant' group had 4 participants, while the 'Safety Control- Infant' group had 8 participants.
- For 'Maternal Post-partum Weight Retention', the 'New Parent Intervention - Mothers' group had a mean of 3.23 kg (Standard Deviation: 13.25) in one measurement and 2.01 kg (Standard Deviation: 8.24) in another. The 'Safety Control - Mothers' group reported a mean of 3.70 kg (Standard Deviation: 9.18) and 2.99 kg (Standard Deviation: 6.31) for the respective measurements.
What this means
The results indicate a consistent trend where the 'New Parent Intervention' group experienced fewer instances of rapid infant weight gain and fewer overweight infant participants compared to the 'Safety Control' group, across both WHO and CDC criteria. Additionally, mothers in the intervention group showed lower mean post-partum weight retention. These findings suggest that interventions focused on engaging new parents, particularly within the first 1000 days, may have a beneficial impact on early childhood weight trajectories and maternal health outcomes, especially in health disparity populations.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT04477577, titled 'First Heroes: Engaging Fathers in the First 1000 Days', were posted on 2026-05-11 on clinicaltrials.gov.