Why we must prioritise R&D to uplift maternal health standards

By investing in R&D for maternal health, we can offer women more choice and support to improve their experience throughout their journey.

Over the past few years, significant strides have been made in advancing maternal health, and supporting more women in their journey to motherhood – from predictive diagnostic tools to AI-enabled ultrasounds. Nonetheless, we still have a long way to go.

Far too many expectant mothers are still lacking the essential resources needed to nurture a healthy pregnancy. Recent research shows a staggering 90 per cent of women trying for a baby lack essential nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy.

The research found that in pre-conception, nine in 10 women had marginal or low levels of folate, riboflavin, vitamin B12 or vitamin D. Moreover, many in their later stages of pregnancy showed signs of vitamin B6 deficiency.

These widespread deficiencies in critical nutrients pose significant risks to maternal health and foetal development, underscoring the urgent need to address them and better support women.

These deficiencies can have long term consequences for the child, impairing their physical and cognitive development, which is why nutrition is so important prior to, and during pregnancy. With the stakes this high, empowering women with the nutritional supplements needed to ensure they are supported throughout their journey to motherhood is vital.

Opening up access and educating women on the importance of these nutrients are the first steps for healthcare providers. Still, we all have a shared responsibility in improving and setting new standards for maternal health and prenatal wellness long term.

To tackle the crisis of deficiencies among expectant mothers and those looking to conceive, ongoing research and development (R&D) in maternal health needs to be prioritised.

Investing in progress – learning from women, to better support women

By gaining a deeper understanding of maternal health and foetal development, we can innovate ingredients that are both more accessible and of a higher quality for women.

Achieving this, however, requires more investment into research that identifies current disparities and nutrient gaps, and investigates initiatives and supplements that can address these issues, including the mental health of the mother.

Mental wellbeing pre-conception and during pregnancy are often overlooked and it’s crucial that women receive the appropriate support at these times and including postpartum. This holistic approach of supporting physical and mental wellbeing reduces the likelihood of complications during pregnancy which could have long term health consequences for mother and child.

It also maximises the postpartum bonding where developing emotional connection and attachment facilitates breastfeeding and stimulates social growth.

It’s encouraging to see foundations such as the Gates Foundation invest in R&D to spur innovations in health and nutrition that can improve maternal health outcomes and aid prevention, detection and treatment of conditions that affect women.

In the global wellness space, H&H Group’s non-profit research organisation, BINC (Biostime Institute Nutrition and Care), is spearheading research to support more women in their journey to motherhood.

We know pioneering initiatives to advance the story for good maternal health – from preconception to early child infancy – is critical. To combat nutrient deficiencies and enhance access to prenatal vitamins for maternal and infant health and wellness, we must put efforts into research first.

By continuing to invest in R&D for maternal health, we can offer women more choice and support to improve their experience throughout their journey, raising the standards for maternal health.

Plugging nutrition gaps – translating insights into innovative solutions

For women with busy lifestyles, getting the exact right amount of nutrients needed can be challenging. It doesn’t help that at a time where women are already contending with pregnancy related challenges – both mental and physical – they are also in a critical window where nutrition is paramount.

With all this in mind, it can understandably be difficult to keep track of nutritional intake, which is why a simpler solution is needed.

Simply put, for women struggling to intake the key vitamins and nutrients needed to support a healthy pregnancy, there needs to be better, and more accessible options available, such as wearables and at-home diagnostics for monitoring and tracking maternal and foetal health.

The hope is that by prioritising R&D, we can create more innovative products that can plug this gap, and tackle deficiencies head on.

With more pioneering research, we can develop more products and solutions to nurture healthy pregnancies and set new standards for health, wellness and care.