A digital health coaching programme for pregnant women at risk of gestational diabetes is moving from clinical trial conditions into routine hospital care, as researchers test whether its benefits can survive the pressures of busy maternity services.
The new study, led by researchers at University College Dublin, has published its full protocol for Bump2Baby & Me+ (B2B&Me+), a multi-country European implementation-effectiveness project that began recruitment in December 2025 and closed that phase at the end of August. The work is now being followed in hospitals in Ireland, Spain, Poland and Norway, with results expected in 2028.
Why the programme matters for maternity care
Gestational diabetes affects roughly one in seven pregnancies worldwide, and the condition carries serious implications for both mother and baby. According to the study summary, women who develop gestational diabetes have a tenfold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with the general pregnant population. The researchers say the burden is rising globally, driven in part by more women becoming pregnant at older ages and living with obesity or overweight.
The study will assess whether the positive outcomes seen in the original Bump2Baby and Me trial remain when the programme is offered more widely in real-world maternity settings. Each site will compare blocks of health-coaching delivery with periods of usual care, helping the team judge how practical the approach is when embedded in routine services.
How the digital service works
Women enrolled in the programme are matched with a health coach through a smartphone app, given a Bluetooth-enabled weighing scale for self-monitoring, and supported from early pregnancy through to nine months after birth. The project will also test different invitation methods to see which are most successful at enrolling and reaching women in practice. Findings will be fed into a European implementation toolkit designed to give health services practical, costed guidance on introducing the programme.
Professor Sharleen O’Reilly, the principal investigator, said the key question is whether the coaching still works once it becomes part of how a busy maternity unit operates, rather than under controlled trial conditions. The project is funded through the EU Horizon Europe Transforming Health and Care Systems partnership, alongside national funding bodies in Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Poland and Spain.
Broader implications as rates climb
The timing is notable. The study summary says the UK announced earlier this month that gestational diabetes rates had surged by 60% and now match Ireland’s. While the new programme is not a UK rollout, the findings could be relevant to maternity services facing similar pressures and rising demand for preventive support.
Recruitment has now ended, but the coaching element will continue until mid-2027. For maternity teams looking for scalable ways to reduce risk, the project is intended to answer not just whether the intervention works, but whether it can be delivered reliably in everyday care.
As health systems look for interventions that combine prevention, digital support and practical delivery, B2B&Me+ will be watched closely for evidence that a trial-proven model can make the leap into routine clinical use.
Source: News-Medical report on Bump2Baby & Me+
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