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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $130,000 grant to William Paterson University for a two-year study on how women’s biomechanics change during pregnancy, to be led by kinesiology professor Jason Wicke and nursing professor and alumna Samantha Rueter, ’12, DNP ’23.
Using the Human Research Motion Lab at William Paterson, of which Wicke is director, he and Rueter will scientifically capture changes to the size of women’s bodies over the course of pregnancy. They will then analyze how those changes affect the women’s movement.
Wicke and Rueter’s research project was selected for a NIH grant from among a national pool of universities and institutions.
“Pregnant women are underrepresented in biomechanical research, especially when it comes to the standards of performing regular, everyday movements—movements we often perform for long stretches of time in the workplace,” Wicke says.
He subsequently hopes, through the NIH grant, both to create an accurate biomechanical model of the pregnant body as it progresses through pregnancy and then see it used by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to create workplace guidelines for pregnant employees.
Rueter, whose background is in maternal-child nursing, says that even in healthcare settings, this work will have a “substantial” effect on how employers interact with pregnant employees. “This research will highlight the importance of workplace pregnancy education,” she continues.
Starting next semester, pregnant women between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy will visit the campus lab biweekly until they give birth (or until they no longer feel physically able to participate). During their visits, the professors will take detailed measurements of the women’s bodies and capture three-dimensional images of them using a motion analysis system comprised of high-tech cameras, sensors, and force plates. The equipment is free of any radiation, making it safe for use during pregnancy.
While they wear numerous sensors, women participating in the study will be asked to perform simple movements such as walking short distances and standing up from sitting position. Equipment in the lab will record their precise movements during these actions. Researchers can then compare how the women’s movements change in relation to how the size of their bodies change and how far along in pregnancy they are.
“Overall, I believe our work will provide opportunities for more research in the importance of pregnancy and postpartum care in a state that continues to show improvement in maternal health outcomes,” Rueter says.
12/23/24
