Professional Summary and Publications

I began my research career by doing a feasibility study of establishing a birth cohort in public hospitals of Bengaluru to study the impact of maternal hyperglycaemia on child anthropometry. Our team recruited 964 pregnant women, of whom 864 underwent Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. This feasibility study led to the establishment of the MAASTHI birth cohort that focused on assessing the effects of glucose levels in pregnancy on the risk of adverse infant outcomes, especially in predicting the possible risk markers of later chronic diseases.

MAASTHI cohort recruited and followed up ~2962 pregnant women and their offspring until the age of 4 years. The cohort provided evidence for several maternal nutritional and psychosocial determinants that contribute to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, including GDM, low birth weight, maternal mental health, etc. I assessed pregnancy diet using questionnaires, 24 hour recalls and micronutrient levels in serum samples to see its association with GDM. The results, including data from 1777 pregnant women, unveiled a GDM prevalence of 17.6%, with a notable correlation between GDM and red meat consumption. Women in the lowest quartile of serum vitamin D levels had three times higher odds of gestational diabetes than women in higher quartiles.

The high prevalence of GDM reported in the MAASTHI cohort naturally led to the design of a randomised clinical trial in collaboration with LSHTM that aimed at designing and disseminating video-based interventions for screening and managing gestational diabetes among 10,000 pregnant women. Following contextual analysis, we developed an educational/behavioural intervention for GDM delivered through a package of culturally tailored films. 

I am currently part of the COINCIDE project that aims to comprehensively examine neurodevelopment and mental health outcomes in MAASTHI children aged between 4 and 8 years. The COINCIDE project will assess nutritional, psychosocial and environmental exposures among the MAASTHI and SPRING cohort. Several nutritional biomarkers like Fe, B6, B12, Vitamin D, thyroid, ferritin, and sTfR will  be assessed as part of this study.