WHO:

The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) is one of only six national Human Nutrition Research Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study is run by a Team of UAMS faculty, led by Dr. Thomas M. Badger (Principle Investigator).  We are looking for healthy women who are pregnant or have delivered a healthy baby who is less than 8 weeks old.

Babies must be exclusively fed:

1) Breast milk
2) Milk-based infant formula (e.g., Enfamil Lipil, Similac Advance), or
3) Soy-based infant formula (e.g., Prosobee Lipil, Isomil Advance).

WHAT:

Beginnings is a research study. We study infants and children from birth through puberty, including measures of:

• Diet
• Growth
• Body composition (lean body mass, percent body fat, and bone density)
• Development and milestones
• Brain function
• Ultrasound of some organs
  

WHEN:

There are 7 – 8 study visits in the first year:

• Enrollment visit at 1- or 2- months of age
• Brief study visits at 2-, 4-, and 5-months of age
• Full study visits at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months of age

Annual study visits at 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6- years of age

WHERE:

The ACNC is located on the campus of Arkansas Children’s Hospital
1212 Marshall Street, Little Rock, AR 72202
Click here for driving directions, or click Mapquest.

WHY:

We are doing the study to learn the effects of early infant nutrition on children’s growth, body composition, development, and brain function.
Although there are no direct health benefits from being in this study, you may want to join the study because:

• We give a report of your child’s growth and development after each full visit
• We give formula (for formula-fed infants) and/or diapers (for breast fed infants) for every visit you complete during the first year of your child’s life. We also give other gifts for complete visits too.
• Most importantly, it is fun!