Bump2Baby and Me mHealth coaching in a 865-woman trial lowered gestational diabetes incidence at UCD

A smartphone coaching program, Bump2Baby and Me (B2B&Me), reduced the number of high-risk pregnant women who developed gestational diabetes, according to an international randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet Digital Health and reported by news-medical.net news-medical.netnews-medical.netnews-medical.netOpen source ↗. The study was led by Prof Sharleen O'Reilly of University College Dublin, School of Agriculture and Food Science.

The multicenter trial ran in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Australia. According to the authors, it is the first of its scale to deliver a digital health intervention continuously through pregnancy and an extended postpartum period, up to 12 months after birth.

Trial design and participants

The trial enrolled 865 pregnant women at 12 to 24 weeks' gestation who were identified as being at increased risk of gestational diabetes. All participants received Bluetooth-enabled scales. They were randomized to routine care only or to routine care plus personalized mHealth coaching through the B2B&Me app.

The app provided tailored support on nutrition, physical activity and well-being. The coaches were trained healthcare professionals who held live sessions and offered support by text or video news-medical.netnews-medical.netnews-medical.netOpen source ↗.

Results and next steps

Average maternal body mass index (BMI) at 12 months postpartum did not differ between the two groups. The researchers nevertheless found a clinically important reduction in the number of women who developed gestational diabetes in the app group. According to the authors, this indicates that prevention of gestational diabetes and improvement in metabolic health can occur without a corresponding change in weight.

The study also noted that regular self-weighing on the Bluetooth scales was independently associated with a significant reduction in BMI. No adverse events related to the coaching program were reported, and the authors say that the inclusion of four different healthcare systems improves the generalizability of the findings.

Prof O'Reilly said that continuous, high-quality engagement with mHealth coaching can improve metabolic outcomes and reduce gestational diabetes incidence independently of weight change. The team has already launched a successor initiative, Bump2Baby&Me+, supported by €2 million in partnership funding under Horizon Europe. It will focus on implementation science: how to embed the coaching program into routine maternity services in different healthcare settings news-medical.netnews-medical.netnews-medical.netOpen source ↗.