Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b)

Overview

nuMoM2b logo
nuMoM2b, which began in 2010, studied pregnant women who would be delivering for the first time (nulliparous women). This prospective cohort study evaluated the underlying, interrelated mechanisms of several common adverse pregnancy outcomes, which can be unpredictable in women who have little or no pregnancy history, to help guide their treatment. This initiative addressed a critical group of at-risk women who were understudied and represented 40% of U.S. births each year. The results of this study will help inform healthcare providers and their patients who are pregnant or considering pregnancy and will support future research to improve care and outcomes in this group of women.

The study was initiated by NICHD’s Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch and was primarily funded by NICHD, with co-funding from the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health. A National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded substudy of 3,600 nuMoM2b participants examined the relationship between sleep disorders during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

nuMoM2b enrolled racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse pregnant women through 8 clinical research sites and 12 subsites around the country. These women participated in a variety of tests to identify potential mechanisms of adverse outcomes and predictive factors for the outcomes at four points during pregnancy.

Researchers collected additional data through ancillary studies on subsets of the enrolled women.

Topic Areas

nuMoM2b studied the mechanisms and prediction of adverse outcomes in pregnancy. The primary outcomes of interest were preterm birth, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and stillbirth. The study aimed to:

  • Determine maternal characteristics and biomarkers, including genetics, epigenetics, and physiological response to pregnancy, as well as the environmental factors that can influence or predict adverse pregnancy outcomes
  • Identify specific aspects of placental development and function that lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes
  • Characterize genetic, growth, and developmental parameters of the fetus associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes

Network Sites

  • Case Western Reserve University
  • Columbia University
  • Indiana University
  • Northwestern University
  • Magee-Women’s Hospital
  • RTI International (data coordinating and analysis center)
  • University of California, Irvine
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Utah

In addition, 12 subsites participated in nuMoM2b.

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