Background
There has been considerable interest in maternal obesity, gestational weight gain, and effects on pregnancy outcomes. Yet despite a wealth of evidence of the protective role of muscle mass in metabolic health in non-pregnant populations, there is a dearth of evidence of the influence of maternal muscle mass (or fat-free mass; FFM) on maternal health, or pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
Aims and hypothesis This project will analyse an existing dataset to investigate the relationship between maternal FFM, measured before 16 weeks of pregnancy (n~1000) (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis; Tanita), and pregnancy outcomes; specifically maternal gestational hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes mellitus, birth weight, and uniquely, in a sub-cohort of the newborns (n~300), infant body composition assessed as fat mass and FFM (PEA POD; COSMED). The hypothesis is that higher maternal FFM in early pregnancy will be associated with reduced incidence of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus, and strong associations will exist between maternal and infant body composition.
Objectives of the project
The student scholar will develop research skills in data science and advanced statistics, registration and conducting of research projects consistent with best practice reporting guidelines, and conducting a systematic literature search. This skills will be developed alongside the experience of exposure to a clinical research environment, and important concepts around metabolic health and the effect of the intrauterine environment in programming life-long metabolic functioning. Outcomes from the project will inform future research, practice and information dissemination to clinicians and patients around mitigating the potential risk of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus, and the potential importance of measuring body composition, rather than simply body weight, in early pregnancy.
