During pregnancy, mom and baby’s bodies are changing in many ways. For the MINT Study, we are specifically interested in analyzing mom and baby’s body fat changes during and after pregnancy. To look at these changes, we are scanning moms using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Currently, MRI is the recommended imaging method to use during pregnancy by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

We will use mom’s body weight changes and MRI scans to know what made up the weight that mom gained during pregnancy. This information can potentially be used to inform pregnancy weight gain recommendations and give researchers more information about how mom’s body composition relates to baby’s body composition.

“Magnetic resonance imaging can provide detailed insight regarding weight gain patterns during and after pregnancy. In MINT, we are conducting MRI imaging to assess the specific composition of weight and body fat changes over time and can determine the specific body fat depots that are changing over time. The composition of weight changes over time more closely reflects the intrauterine environment compared to only assessing weight gain alone, and may offer more detailed insight into the developmental origins of adult disease.” – Dr. Beth Widen