Our Research
Read more about our research projects
The iWIP Collaborative Group was established in 2013. We are interested in finding out how implementing changes in diet and physical activity can improve the health outcomes of pregnant women.
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iWIP GWG (Gestational Weight Gain)
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The main aim of the iWIP Collaborative Group was to conduct an Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis to determine the effect of diet and physical activity based interventions on gestational weight gain, which has since been published in the British Medical Journal in 2017.
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The group gathered data from over 12,500 pregnant women randomised in 36 trials which compared the effects of dieting (including restriction of sugar-sweetened beverages, promoting low-fat dairy products, increase in fruits and vegetables) and physical activity (moderate intensity including aerobic classes and stationary cycling, and resistance training for muscle groups).
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​The interventions significantly reduced the mother’s weight gain during pregnancy by an average of 0.7 kg compared to the control group and lowered the odds of the mother having a caesarean section by about 10 percent. There was no strong evidence that the interventions affected offspring outcomes such as stillbirth, underweight or overweight births, or admission to a neonatal intensive care unit. The lack of adverse effects should reassure mothers who have traditionally been advised not to undertake structured exercise or manage their diet in pregnancy.
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The study was funded by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme and its results were recently used by the UK Chief Medical Officers in the Department of Health’s infographics on physical activity in pregnancy, which recommended at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity every week.
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iWIP GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus)
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We are now starting with our next project, to determine the effect of diet and physical activity based interventions on gestational diabetes mellitus using Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis, along with economic evaluation. The study is also funded by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme. We have updated our search and contacted more authors for trial data, and are in the process of updating our repository. Click below for the latest updates.
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