One in five pregnant women have two or more active long-term health conditions. These can be both physical conditions (like diabetes or raised blood pressure), and mental health conditions (such as depression or anxiety). Born in Bradford is collaborating with researchers from eight Universities across all four UK nations to understand the following:
- How health conditions accumulate over time and why some women are more at risk at developing two or more long-term health conditions before pregnancy.
- Women’s experiences of care during pregnancy, birth and after birth.
- How having two or more long-term health conditions may affect pregnant women and their children.
- How medications are prescribed, and how taking combinations of medication may affect pregnant women and their babies.
Once we find answers to these questions, we will build a prediction model to help identify how likely a previously healthy pregnant woman will develop multiple long-term conditions after pregnancy. By doing this, we will help women and their healthcare professionals make informed decisions about their care and medication use. Our work will also identify important time points to intervene and ways to prevent pregnancy complications or developing future long-term health conditions.
