Smarter Pregnancy Coaching and Maternal Blood Pressure

Batoul Hojeij; Sam Schoenmakers; Isa Van Mullem; Sten P Willemsen; Andras Dinnyes; Kevin D Sinclair; Melek Rousian; Régine P M Steegers-Theunissen

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2024.11.007

Smarter Pregnancy Coaching and Maternal Blood Pressure

Am J Prev Med. 2024 Nov 29:S0749-3797(24)00403-3. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2024.11.007. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Batoul Hojeij¹, Sam Schoenmakers¹, Isa Van Mullem¹, Sten P Willemsen¹, Andras Dinnyes², Kevin D Sinclair³, Melek Rousian¹, Régine P M Steegers-Theunissen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
² BioTalentum Ltd., Godollo, Hungary; Department of Physiology and Animal Health, Institute of Physiology and Animal Nutrition, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Godollo, Hungary.
³ School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.steegers@erasmusmc.nl.

PMID: 39617102
DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2024.11.007

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal lifestyle behaviors can affect blood pressure with consequences for maternal and offspring health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Smarter Pregnancy digital lifestyle coaching program on maternal blood pressure during the first trimester.

Methods: The study was conducted on data of the Rotterdam Periconception Cohort from 2010 to 2019, and analysis was completed in 2024. The intervention group included 132 pregnant women using Smarter Pregnancy for 6-24 weeks within 30 months before the study entry. The control group included 1,091 pregnant women who did not use Smarter Pregnancy. Outcomes included changes in systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures between baseline and first trimester. Lifestyle behaviors were tracked in the intervention group at 12 and 24 weeks of the program, using lifestyle risk score for vegetables, fruits, smoking, and alcohol.

Results: Using multivariable analysis, the intervention group showed reductions in systolic (β_adj= -2.34 mmHg, 95% CI= -4.67, -0.01), diastolic (β_adj= -2.00 mmHg, 95% CI= -3.57, -0.45), and mean arterial (β_adj= -2.22 mmHg, 95% CI= -3.81, -0.52) blood pressures compared with the control group. When stratifying for conception mode, reductions were observed in diastolic (β_adj= -2.38, 95% CI= -4.20, -0.56) and mean arterial (β_adj= -2.63, 95% CI= -4.61, -0.56) blood pressures only in women who underwent assisted reproduction (n=91). Smarter Pregnancy use was associated with a reduction in lifestyle risk score, indicating improved lifestyle behaviors, after 12 (β= -0.84, 95% CI= -1.19, -0.49) and 24 (β= -1.07, 95% CI= -1.44, -0.69) weeks. The lifestyle risk score was also significantly reduced in assisted reproduction and natural pregnancy subgroups.

Conclusions: The use of Smarter Pregnancy is associated with consistent but small reductions in maternal blood pressure during the first trimester, supporting further implementation in health care.