Expanding existing research to build healthier futures for more mums and babies
The team behind the successful Bump2Baby and Me EU-funded project is proud to announce its next phase – Bump2Baby&Me+. Launching in June 2025, the new study aims to reduce adverse birth outcomes, improve maternal and child health, and lower the long-term risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Pregnancy is a window of opportunity where the health of both women and children can be influenced. Gestational diabetes affects one in 7 live births globally and it is the strongest predictor for women developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years postpartum.
Bump2Baby&Me+ is building on the Bump2Baby and Me trial, which finishes the same month as the new study starts. The original trial showed promising results including a significant increase in breastfeeding, a reduction in gestational diabetes incidence, and improved weight management. Bump2Baby&Me+ is a three-year project involving maternity hospitals in Dublin (Ireland), Granada (Spain), Kristiansand (Norway), and Szczecin (Poland).
Our project coordinator, Professor Sharleen O’Reilly from University College Dublin, will also lead the Bump2Baby&Me+ project, which was funded €2 million by the Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) initiative under Horizon Europe, with the Health Research Board as the Irish national funder.
What’s different?
Bump2Baby&Me+ will use an innovative mHealth coaching app that connects pregnant women at risk of developing gestational diabetes with trained health professional coaches from early pregnancy to nine months postpartum. This study will differ from the previous project as it is not a clinical trial. Bump2Baby&Me+ will have a control period, where the researchers will follow the health of women during pregnancy, and an intervention period, where every woman identified as being at risk of developing gestational diabetes will be offered the health coaching programme. The health coaching programme provides personalised support for areas such as diet, physical activity, mental health, and baby care. The programme’s app includes a tailored resource library, goal setting and tracking features, as well as secure communications with a personal health coach.
Professor O’Reilly explains, “Our goal is to build on the promising results from the original Bump2Baby and Me trial and see if we can translate those findings into new countries and whole maternity hospitals. This will allow our project partners to develop and roll out a sustainable prevention programme in the future that empowers women, supports clinicians, and integrates directly into routine maternity care.”
Bump2Baby&Me+ will take a holistic approach to its evaluation including important aspects like its feasibility, acceptability, cost-effectiveness, and scalability across varied healthcare systems. Health professionals, policymakers, and the research community will be directly engaged in shaping and delivering the programme in the longer term.
Stay tuned for updates as the Bump2Baby&Me+ project brings this innovative maternal healthcare solution to more families across Europe.
Press contact:
Professor Sharleen O’Reilly, University College Dublin
Email: sharleen.oreilly@ucd.ie Phone:01 7162157
Notes for editors:
Partners in Bump2Baby&Me+:
- The National Maternity Hospital, Ireland
- Aarhus University, Denmark
- Liva Healthcare, Denmark
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
- University of Agder, Norway
- Sorlandet Hospital Trust, Norway
- Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland
- Fundacion para la Investigacion Biosanitaria de Andalucía Oriental, Spain