Resilience Through Interventions for Successful Early Outcomes (ABC Parenting Program)

This study is looking at how a parenting program called Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) affects stress in young children. The ABC program involves 10 home visits designed to help parents be more sensitive and nurturing. You might be able to join if you are a parent or legal guardian, aged 18 or older, speak English or Spanish, and have a child between 24 and 42 months old. Your child must live with you and have experienced social risk factors for adversity. The study will involve about 150 parent-child pairs. Participants will either receive the ABC program right away or after a 4-month wait. Researchers will measure children's inflammation and epigenetic age (a measure of biological aging) to see the program's effects.

Study design
This study is an interventional study with approximately 150 parent-child pairs. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the ABC program immediately or after a 4-month wait.
What's involved
Participants will either receive 10 sessions of the ABC parenting program or be on a 4-month waitlist before receiving the program. Child inflammation and epigenetic age will be measured at the beginning of the study and again 13-20 weeks later.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Children's inflammation will be measured at the start of the study and again 13-20 weeks after the start.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06669624

Resilience Through Interventions for Successful Early Outcomes

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalPrevention
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
~150 participants
Updated 2026-02-02 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC)Waitlist with 4-month delay, then ABC

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Child inflammation
Measured over Pre-intervention baseline
+21 more outcomes measured
Parenting Intervention
Stress
Caregiver Child Relationship
Child Behavior Problem
Mental Health

NCT06669624

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Chapel Hill, South Carolinastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Danielle Roubinov, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Want this trial checked against your situation?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

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 home-like environment in which to participate in the intervention
Aged between 24 months and 42 months at enrollment
Lives with the parent/caregiver at least 50% of the time

Exclusion

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
  • Child inflammationPre-intervention baseline

    Pediatric saliva samples will be assayed for cytokine concentrations.

  • Child inflammation13-20 weeks after baseline

    Pediatric saliva samples will be assayed for cytokine concentrations.

  • Child epigenetic age accelerationPre-intervention baseline

    Pediatric buccal swabs will be assayed for DNAm, which will be used to calculate child epigenetic age

  • Child epigenetic age acceleration13-20 weeks after baseline

    Pediatric buccal swabs will be assayed for DNAm, which will be used to calculate child epigenetic age

  • Child telomere lengthPre-intervention baseline

    DNA will be extracted from child buccal swabs to calculated T/S ratios.

  • Child telomere length13-20 weeks after baseline

    DNA will be extracted from child buccal swabs to calculated T/S ratios.

  • Child hair cortisolPre-intervention baseline

    Several strands of hair will be collected and assayed to obtain hair cortisol concentration

  • Child hair cortisol13-20 weeks after baseline

    Several strands of hair will be collected and assayed to obtain hair cortisol concentration

  • Child stress hormonesPre-intervention baseline

    Child hair and saliva samples for cortisol, cortisone, DHEA, progesterone, and endocannabinoid levels to examine both cumulative and dynamic stress hormone responses.

  • Child stress hormones13-20 weeks after baseline

    Child hair and saliva samples for cortisol, cortisone, DHEA, progesterone, and endocannabinoid levels to examine both cumulative and dynamic stress hormone responses.

  • ParentingPre-intervention baseline

    Behavioral coding of parenting will be conducted using video recordings of tasks from the Early Regulation in Context Assessment.

  • Parenting13-20 weeks after baseline

    Behavioral coding of parenting will be conducted using video recordings of tasks from the Early Regulation in Context Assessment.

  • Child wellbeingPre-intervention baseline

    Caregiver reports of their child's quality of life will be obtained using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better functioning.

  • Child wellbeing13-20 weeks after baseline

    Caregiver reports of their child's quality of life will be obtained using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better functioning.

  • Child executive functioningPre-intervention baseline

    Child executive functioning will be assessed using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale™ The MEFS has been nationally normed based on the child's age and standardized scores are automatically generated using an algorithm that combines accuracy and response time (M = 100, SD = 15). Scores range from 60-140, with higher scores indicating better performance.

  • Child executive functioning13-20 weeks after baseline

    Child executive functioning will be assessed using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale™ The MEFS has been nationally normed based on the child's age and standardized scores are automatically generated using an algorithm that combines accuracy and response time (M = 100, SD = 15). Scores range from 60-140, with higher scores indicating better performance.

  • Child mental healthPre-intervention baseline

    Child mental health will be assessed using caregiver reports through the Child Behavior Checklist preschool-aged form (1.5-5). We will use the total, internalizing, and externalizing subscales, with scores ranging from 0-200, 0-72, and 0-48, respectively. Higher scores represent worse functioning.

  • Child mental health13-20 weeks after baseline

    Child mental health will be assessed using caregiver reports through the Child Behavior Checklist preschool-aged form (1.5-5). We will use the total, internalizing, and externalizing subscales, with scores ranging from 0-200, 0-72, and 0-48, respectively. Higher scores represent worse functioning.

  • Caregiver anxietyPre-intervention baseline

    Caregiver anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The total score ranges from 0-21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety.

  • Caregiver anxiety13-20 weeks after baseline

    Caregiver anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The total score ranges from 0-21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety.

  • Caregiver depressionPre-intervention baseline

    Caregiver depression symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item form. Scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores representing worse functioning.

  • Caregiver depression13-20 weeks after baseline

    Caregiver depression symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item form. Scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores representing worse functioning.