SPROUT is a research project looking at how parents feed their infants in the first year of life and what support could help them most, especially for families living on a low income or facing food insecurity.
Background
How infants are fed in their first year is closely linked to growth, development and later risk of overweight and long-term health conditions. Many parents, especially those under financial pressure, find feeding challenging because of food costs, unclear or conflicting guidance, and concerns about doing the wrong thing. Professionals working in early years services, including health visitors, midwives, early years practitioners, and community nurses, may not always have the required resources to support families. By understanding these barriers and gaps, we can shape services and policies that help parents feed responsively and promote good health from the start.
Project Aims
SPROUT aims to understand parents’ and professionals’ experiences of infant feeding, identify barriers to responsive feeding, and develop recommendations for services and policies that give infants the best start in life.
Project Activity
- Researchers are conducting focus groups with parents of infants aged 3-12 months and with a wide range of professionals who support families during the early months. These include health visitors, early years practitioners, midwives, and community nurses. Conversations focus on day-to-day feeding practices, challenges faced by families, and how current services could provide clearer and more practical support.
- The study pays particular attention to families experiencing food insecurity or financial hardship, as these groups often face the greatest barriers to responsive feeding. Public contributors are helping shape the study and interpret findings so that the work reflects lived experience.
- The team will co-design and test guidance and tools with parents and professionals, ensuring any new resources are acceptable, practical, and suitable for use in routine services.
Anticipated or actual outputs
SPROUT will generate evidence on how early years and health services can best support parents with infant feeding. Findings will guide training and resources, and inform national guidance on early nutrition.
Papers and resources
Click here to view the MRC website
Who is involved?
- Dr Cara Ruggiero, Principal Investigator, University of Cambridge (MRC Epidemiology Unit)
- Dr Marie Spreckley, Co-investigator, University of Cambridge (MRC Epidemiology Unit)
Contact
- Dr Marie Spreckley, marie.spreckley@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
- Dr Cara Ruggiero, cara.ruggiero@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our partners. This work is made possible through the collaboration of researchers, practitioners, and families dedicated to promoting healthy child development through responsive feeding and family-centred care.
We would like to thank Professors Amy Ahern, Jackie Blissett, Clare Llewellyn, Charlotte Hardman, Emma Haycraft and Robbie Duschinsky, and Drs Florence Sheen and Andrea Smith for their collaboration in the development of this work.
