SPROUT Study enrollment is currently closed. Thank you for your interest!

If you are a current participant, thank you for your continued participation! If you have any questions, please call or text 734-845-9128 or email SproutStudy@umich.edu

When is my next appointment?

Your second appointment will be about 15 months from your first appointment. Your third appointment will be 27 months from your first appointment. We will begin to contact you about 6 weeks before this date to schedule your next visit.

How do I find parking directions?

Ann Arbor parking information is here.
Detroit parking information is here.

UM Covid-19 safety precautions will continue to be followed; Study staff and participants are required to wear masks during study visits.

You can also email us at SproutStudy@umich.edu or call us at 734-845-9128

Frequently Asked Question

What is involved in SPROUT?

To participate in SPROUT, you will complete 3 appointments over 3 years (1 visit/year): once when your child is 3, once when they’re 4, and once when they’re 5. These appointments will either be at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor or at the UM Detroit Center in midtown Detroit.   

Free Parking is provided at both locations.

Each of these appointments will take about 3 hours. After each appointment, we will also loan you a video camera and have you record two dinners with your family. We will then pick up the camera from your home.

During each SPROUT appointment, you and your child will participate in different activities like playing together and playing games on an iPad. You will also be asked to complete questions about your family life. Finally, we will measure you and your child, and have you take a video camera home to record two dinners with your family. We will then come and pick up the camera from your home.

You can receive up to $100 for completing each SPROUT appointment, plus $10 for updating your contact information with us a few times a year. That means you can receive up to $360 for participating in SPROUT.

Children who are between 3 and 3 ½, and their biological mothers, can join SPROUT. Mothers of 2 year olds can also sign up and we will contact you around your child’s 3rd birthday. Please share your contact information and a study staff member will contact you to share more information about the study.

We are now offering an optional one time online survey for partners of our participating moms. At your second appointment, the study team will discuss this opportunity.

This study is led by Dr. Katherine Bauer at the University of Michigan.

Child care can be arranged for any additional children at least 48 hours in advance of your study appointment. If you think you may need child care, please let us know when you schedule your visit. 

The safety of our participants and study staff is our main priority. We will follow a safety plan that adheres to all local and University of Michigan COVID-19 regulations before, during, and after your visit.

Study staff and participants are required to wear masks during study visits. We will also be social distancing; frequently disinfecting toys, tables, and other high touch surfaces; and minimizing the number of people in our study space.

Parenting small children can be really rewarding, but also really hard! What we learn from this study will help us develop programs that make it easier and more enjoyable to grow healthy kids.