Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effects of a music enrichment program on the quality of parent child interactions, a child's motivation to eat, and a child's language environment in 9 to 24 month-old children from low-income families. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does participation in a music enrichment program improve the quality of parent-child interactions?
- Does participation in a music enrichment program reduce motivation for food
- Does participation in a music enrichment program improve the quality of the language environment?
Participants will:
- Be randomly assigned to participate in either 2, 8-week semesters of weekly music enrichment classes or play group sessions.
- At the beginning, after the first 8 weeks and after the second 8 weeks, a researcher will come to the participants house and parent-child pairs will:
- be video recorded during 10 minutes of playtime and meal time.
- fill out questionnaires
- wear a small wearable language recorder for 16 hours
- At the beginning, after the first 8 weeks and after the second 8 weeks, the parent and child will come to the baby lab and will:
- Play a computer game to test motivation for food
- have height and weight measurements collected
Researchers will compare the music and play groups to see if there is a difference in the quality of parent child interaction, food motivation or language environment.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Family income meets criteria for the National Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program
- Family is able and willing to commit to a 6-month program
Exclusion Criteria:
- Mother <18 years old at the time of delivery
- During pregnancy:
- Mother smoked >10 cigarettes/day
- Mother used >1 marijuana joint/day
- Mother used any other illicit drugs
- Mother drank > 3 standard drinks on a single occasion or >1 standard drink on a daily basis
- Preterm birth <37 weeks gestation
- Child with significant health issues, and/or genetic conditions (e.g., cerebral palsy, down's syndrome)
- Mother with major health concerns during pregnancy (e.g., gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, etc)
- Parent/child who do not speak English