HJBR Jul/Aug 2019

Healthcare Briefs Improving the Health of Low-IncomeMoms-to- Be and Their Babies Scientists at Pennington Biomedical are launch- ing a new program that they hope will improve lifestyle habits and promote healthy weight gain of low-income mothers during pregnancy. “Pregnancy is a critical nutritional time point that influences the immediate and long-term health of both the mother and child,” said Dr. Leanne Redman, director of Reproductive Endo- crinology and Women’s Health at LSU’s Penning- ton Biomedical Research Center, who will lead the research program. For mothers and children, the ramifications of excess weight gain do not stop with the need for a caesarean section, mothers retaining extra pounds after birth, or babies being born carrying extra fat, Redman said. Gaining too little or too much weight in pregnancy increases the risks for heart disease and diabetes in the mother and child. “Pennington Biomedical is focused on finding effective ways to prevent obesity and chronic dis- ease across the lifespan,” said Dr. John Kirwan, executive director of Pennington Biomedical. “Dr. Redman’s study holds out the hope of breaking the transmission of obesity from moms to babies, which would give the next generation a chance to be healthier and free of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity-related deadly cancers.” The program is funded by a $2.9 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health. Its goal is to test a new program called Healthy Beginnings, a patient-centered, weight-management program delivered solely through the internet. Previous research from Redman and her team has shown this approach can help women gain the proper amount of weight while pregnant. n Leanne Redman, MD