The primary ROLO (Randomised cOntrol Trial of LOw glycaemic diet in pregnancy) study was carried out at The National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Ireland from 2007-2011. This research study involved 800 women who were pregnant with their second child and had previously given birth to an infant weighing more than 4kg. They were invited to take part in a dietary intervention trial from early pregnancy. Women were randomly allocated to receive dietary advice on a low glycamic diet from a dietitian or no dietary advice. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a low glycaemic index diet on infant birth weight, maternal weight gain during pregnancy and maternal glucose tolerance. The ROLO study has become a longitudinal birth cohort, as the mothers who were part of the primary study and their child who was born into the study have been followed up at 3 months, 6 months, 2 years, 5 years, and 9 to 11 years to continue to study the long-term effects of nutrition during pregnancy on maternal and child health outcomes.
Our team in the UCD Perinatal Research Centre in the National Maternity Hospital continue to engage with our ROLO families through social media, newsletters, and follow-up appointments. To date, our research has examined a broad range of topics which are published in scientific journals and presented at research conferences annually. We are so grateful to the continued support from mothers and children of the ROLO study over the last decade who have made a huge contribution to Irish research. Thanks to their dedication, the ROLO cohort study is well recognised both nationally and internationally and the results are having a huge impact on the health of women and children in Ireland and abroad.
The National Maternity Hospital is a centre of excellence in maternal and child health, with research ongoing throughout the various hospital departments. If you are interested in keeping up to date with the progression of our research in the ROLO study, you can find more information on our Twitter account or website page below.
Twitter – @UCDPerinatal
Website – www.ucd.ie/medicine/perinatal