Maternal Child Health (MCH) in Singapore is currently entering a new phase to address the twin challenges; a burgeoning (i) Metabolic and (ii) Mental Health Challenge for Singapore which have shown to have adverse effects on childbearing and child outcomes. To tackle these challenges, we are establishing a new Model-of-Care (MOC) with a life-course approach at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) through the Healthy Early Life Moments in Singapore (HELMS) cohort. Over the course of five years, HELMS will enroll 500 overweight or obese women aged 21-40 years planning for pregnancy, with an estimated 170 completing their pregnancies where they will be followed for another 18 months as a mother-child dyad.~HELMS leverages on building a healthy mental model of life-course events through preconception to postpartum life. Components of intervention will focus on preconception-pregnancy-postpartum care and lifestyle guidance on diet, physical activity, emotion and sleep, complemented by health nudges to promote sustainable change. Various questionnaires and testing will be carried out at relevant time points. Biosamples including blood, cord blood and stool will be collected.~Through the application of HELMS, there is potential to improve metabolic and mental health, break vicious transgenerational cycles of obesity transmission and promote virtuous life cycles of health in the population.
This study aims to assess whether an integrated continuum of care from the preconception period, across maternity until the first 18 months of life, can promote maternal metabolic and mental health, as well as offspring health, among overweight and obese women.