Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), an evidence-based parenting program, on stress biomarkers in children.
Participants: The study will involve approximately 150 caregiver-child dyads, with children aged between 24 and 42 months. Participants will include primary caregivers fluent in English or Spanish, along with their children who have experienced social risk factors for adversity.
Procedures (Methods): Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the ABC parenting program (10 sessions) immediately or be placed on a wait-list, receiving the program after about 4 months. The study procedures include caregivers completing online surveys, engaging in play-based observational tasks with their children, and collecting non-invasive biological samples (saliva, cheek swab, hair) from the children and saliva samples from the caregivers at 2-3 time-points.
Aged 18 or older
Speaks English or Spanish
Is the parent or legal guardian with legal custody of a child aged between 24 months and 42 months
Is a primary caregiver/parent
Has a diagnosed genetic or congenital disorders, including but not limited to Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, endocrine disorders (or is using steroid medications, including human growth hormone), or was born with birth defects
Parallel
Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC)
Behavioral10-session home visiting intervention designed to increase parental sensitivity and nurturance and decrease parental frightening behavior.
Waitlist with 4-month delay, then ABC
Other interventionA 4-month waitlist period, after which they will also receive the home-based ABC program (same as Intervention group).
Child inflammation
Pediatric saliva samples will be assayed for cytokine concentrations.
Child inflammation
Pediatric saliva samples will be assayed for cytokine concentrations.
Child epigenetic age acceleration
Pediatric buccal swabs will be assayed for DNAm, which will be used to calculate child epigenetic age
Child epigenetic age acceleration
Pediatric buccal swabs will be assayed for DNAm, which will be used to calculate child epigenetic age
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United StatesClick on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lead sponsor
University of California, San Francisco
Collaborator
The Duke Endowment
Collaborator
