It is recognised that the extremes of size and increased body fat at birth are associated with increased risks of heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in later adult life. Unfortunately little is known about the precise mechanisms involved in regulation of fetal growth. Both small and large–for gestational age–babies suffer an increased risk of later cardiovascular disease. Therefore, our current state of knowledge is incomplete–we know that these associations exist, but not how or why they are caused.

Interventions to regulate fetal growth are likely to have lifelong health benefits for the offspring, in particular a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease and T2DM.

The overall aim of the Diabetes and Obesity Group is to enhance the treatment of women with obesity and diabetes (both pre-pregnancy and gestational) and produce better pregnancy outcomes. We recognise the importance of a life stage approach in research and in promoting health throughout a woman’s life and plan our research focus to accommodate this.

The Diabetes and Obesity Group objectivesare to describe the pattern of outcomes affecting obese and diabetic women in pregnancy (epidemiology), to undertake clinical trials of novel therapeutic measures designed to improve outcomes (clinical research) and to explore basis mechanisms underlying the adverse pregnancy outcomes experienced by these women (basic/translational research).

Major Projects

• Association between BMI change between pregnancies and pregnancy outcome
• Temporal trends in pregnancy outcomes according to maternal BMI 
• BMI and pregnancy outcomes at MMH 1998-2008  
• Placental and adipose tissue inflammation in diabetic pregnancies (PATI) 
• Placental and adipose tissue inflammatory markers and insulin resistance in normal and obese pregnancy 
• Evaluation of a new early antenatal health promotion model of care for improving maternal health behaviours; The Healthy Start to Pregnancy study
• TRiM: Trial for Reducing Weight Retention in New Mums: A randomised controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of an innovative postpartum weight loss program. 
• WENDY study: Walking for Exercise and Nutrition to prevent Diabetes for You 
• Vitamin D status of pregnant women in Brisbane