Local researchers in Singapore launched the country’s largest parenting randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of parental sensitivity and responsiveness on children’s emotional, cognitive, and physical health [1]. The study, called LOVING, uses a video feedback home-visiting program that provides families with personalized feedback based on recorded parent-child interactions [1].
The trial will begin recruiting 624 families starting May 26, 2026, marking the largest parenting-related RCT conducted in Singapore, surpassing previous trials involving about 200 parenting couples [1]. The project brings together experts from multiple institutions including NUS Medicine, the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS, A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential, and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital [1].
Research Associate Professor Anne Rifkin-Graboi said the study aims to adapt an international program with proven evidence to Singapore’s context to increase its impact. She noted, "In Singapore, we know that some of those challenges (in caregiving) happen more in lower-income groups, and we also know that sensitive caregiving, at least from international work, is a hopefully preventative mechanism to kind of put kids on a better path" [1].
Researchers suggest sensitive caregiving may support behavioral regulation, social skills, and cognitive development in children. It may also be linked to a lower risk of childhood obesity, though this association remains under study [1]. The LOVING program’s video feedback approach aims to help parents reflect on and improve their interactions with their children.
Recruitment will open on May 26, 2026, as the research team prepares to begin this extensive trial that could inform future parenting support policies and programs in Singapore [1].
