Professor Debra Bick among experts launching pregnancy and health report

A new report from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) details evidence-based interventions that can improve the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies. 

The new themed review brings together 75 studies funded by the National Institute for Health Research - the research arm of the NHS.

Debra Bick, Professor of Evidence Based Midwifery Practice at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and Editor in Chief of Midwifery journal, commented, “This new summary brings together the best evidence from research relevant to the health of women giving birth in the UK. We hope it will help clinicians across the NHS and those interested in research to know where to access findings of completed NIHR funded research and updated information about on-going studies.”

Better Beginnings – Health for Pregnancy covers research into health and wellbeing before, during and soon after pregnancy. This includes maintaining a healthy diet and weight, breastfeeding and mental health as well as smoking cessation, alcohol and recreational drug use, and domestic violence.

It also shows how improving care for women from disadvantaged communities can improve the life chances of their children. The report was produced by the NIHR Dissemination Centre. The review features over 30 studies taking place right now to fill existing evidence gaps around health before, during and after pregnancy.

Professor Debra Bick is an NIHR-funded researcher working in the fields of maternal health and midwifery.

Better Beginnings – Health for Pregnancy is available to download for free.