The nuMom2b study – short for “Nulliparous* Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-To-Be” – is a prospective study that enrolled over 10,000 first time pregnant women across the United States and followed them through their pregnancies and after delivery. In this study, researchers used the wellness data collected in nuMom2b to study how wellness related to risk for a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP). Wellness data included information about their nutrition, exercise, illnesses, and sleep. The study results showed that patients reporting higher vegetable consumption in the first trimester, as well as more exercise in the second and third trimesters had decreased risk for an HDP. Also more sleep combined with exercise in the third trimester also decreased HDP risk. Identifying the healthful behaviors that lower the risk for a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy can help develop recommendations and prevention programs to support lowering pregnant women’s risk for developing an HDP.

*Nulliparous = a female of reproductive age who has never had a live delivery

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36959650/

Citation: Mollard E, Cottrell C. Lifestyle and the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in nulliparous women in the United States: a secondary data analysis of the nuMom2b. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023 Mar 23;23(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05522-8. PMID: 36959650; PMCID: PMC10035211.

About Research Roundup

Each quarter, our team of science writers reviews the most current research studies related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and summarizes those studies of greatest interest and potential impact to our community, including research studies related to risk assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Special thanks to our volunteer research team, who under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Sutton, make Research Roundup possible and to our Patient Advisory Council, who reviews these materials from the patient perspective.