Limited access to prenatal dietary support in regional and rural Australia increases the risk of perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA), adversely affecting child cognitive outcomes. A new clinical trial, involving midwife nutrition coaches, aims to enhance support during pregnancy to promote better outcomes.
Researchers from Deakin University’s Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) have secured $2.92M in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to provide dietary support to pregnant women in these communities.
Led by Professor Peter Vuillermin and Dr Samantha Dawson, the five-year project builds on key discoveries from the Barwon Infant Study and the Food & Mood Centre. The study was co-designed in the context of the Western Alliance Funded ‘Pregnancy Research and Translation and leverages the development of the ‘Bugs & Bumps’ smartphone prenatal dietary intervention. The participating health services are Grampian’s Health, Barwon Health, Colac Area Health and the Western District Health Service.
The Barwon Infant Study, a collaborative effort between Deakin, Barwon Health and MCRI, revealed that poorer diet quality during pregnancy is related to increased risks of PNDA and child neurocognitive problems. These risks are linked to gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of bacteria in the digestive system, and systemic inflammation, where the immune system is persistently active, potentially leading to various health problems.
Dr Dawson highlights that many Australian women do not meet national dietary guidelines during pregnancy, and that it is even harder for those living with socio-economic disadvantage.
‘Healthy eating in pregnancy is important for maternal and infant health, but it can be hard for pregnant women to do, and pregnancy care services face many challenges in delivering detailed dietary advice and support too’ she explains.
Current trials of dietary interventions during pregnancy often fail to integrate effectively with health services and lack the power to address crucial questions about their impact on PNDA and child neurocognitive vulnerability.
Dr Dawson describes the need to improve access to dietary advice during pregnancy by supporting midwives in providing this service in a time-efficient manner that integrates with routine pregnancy care. She points out the significant challenges posed by low resourcing and limited access to dietetics, especially in regional and rural areas.
‘The clinical trial will test a dietary intervention in which midwife nutrition coaches collaborate with pregnant women to access high-quality and accessible nutrition information, set meaningful nutrition goals, and monitor and reflect on their progress using our smartphone app.’
‘Perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) and child earning vulnerability are related phenomena that play a central role in a cycle of disadvantage. We have contributed high-impact evidence that poor quality nutrition during pregnancy increases the risks of PNDA and child learning vulnerability via the unifying pathways of gut dysbiosis and systemic inflammation; and that well-designed dietary interventions can substantially improve brain and mental health-related outcomes’ Prof Vuillermin explains.
‘A key strength of our proposal is that it is genuinely integrated within the existing system of pregnancy care delivered by the major public health services in our region. Most of the funding goes to midwife and dietitian roles in the delivery of the trial within the health services.’
If you are interested in doing a PhD within the scope of the clinical trial, please contact peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au and/or samantha.dawson1@deakin.edu.au
Reposted with permission from IMPACT Deakin – find the original article here.
Pictured above is Professor Peter Vuillermin and Dr Samantha Dawson.
