Prominent Oxford scientist led studies on fetal growth, newborn size, and preterm postnatal growth
Conducted influential research on calcium supplementation during pregnancy
ARLINGTON, VA, Feb. 20, 2024 - Dr. Jose Villar, a University of Oxford Professor has been named the 2024 recipient of the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal-Fetal Nutrition. Dr. Villar, a Professor of Perinatal Medicine at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health and the former Coordinator of Maternal and Perinatal Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) has spent more than a half century researching the effect of maternal nutrition on the health, growth, and development of babies. The award will be presented to Dr. Villar at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) on May 4 in Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Villar is the scientific force behind the first set of international standards for fetal growth, newborn size, and body composition, and postnatal growth of preterm infants, which are being widely adopted around the world. They present a universal blueprint for healthy growth and development from early gestation to two years of age. They show that maternal nutrition, health status, diet, and environmental exposures largely dictate whether a fetus or a baby’s growth trajectory leans toward adequate or abnormal directions. In a 2023 Nature paper, the Oxford group he leads also produced the first digital atlas describing the normal maturation of the fetal brain.
Indisputably, Dr. Villar’s largest contribution to the field came in 2014, when he and a team of colleagues published the most ambitious and influential work of his career: a comprehensive set of international standards on fetal growth, newborn size and body composition, and preterm postnatal growth, which also included maternal weight gain, fundal height, and hemoglobin benchmarks during pregnancy. Many of these standards have been widely adopted by medical organizations, including the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which endorsed the newborn head circumference standard to assess microcephaly during the Zika epidemic.
With colleagues decades ago, Dr. Villar also identified the association between calcium intake, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. While working at the WHO, he was responsible for the largest randomized controlled trial on the effect of calcium supplementation to prevent both conditions. The trial's finding, published in 2006, led to a WHO recommendation for women deficient in the mineral.
His most recent contribution to maternal and infant nutrition supports the use of breast milk as the basic feeding regimen for preterm infants. Specifically, the reliability of breast milk to deliver required nutritional needs for uncomplicated preterm infants from birth to six months of age. His research further establishes the importance of breastmilk in helping preterm babies meet developmental benchmarks, prevent unnecessary weight gain, and potentially ward off obesity later in life.
“It's difficult to overstate the value of Dr. Villar’s contributions to maternal and infant nutrition and its impact on early development,” said March of Dimes Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Emre Seli. “His global growth standards are novel and comprehensive, his work on the benefits of prenatal calcium to fight hypertension and early labor are fundamental, and his ongoing work on the adequacy of breast milk for preterm infants to prevent future obesity is crucial.”
“Add to that, Dr. Villar deeply cares about moms and babies and is a heartfelt advocate for creating health equities that give pregnant women choice and allow them to make the diet, nutrition, and lifestyle choices that will benefit their babies for years to come. He is a perfect reflection of the spirit of this award.”
Dr. Villar is currently working with scientists at the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center (PRC) at Stanford University to use machine learning models to find associations between patterns of fetal growth, brain structures, and maternal characteristics on the motor and cognitive abilities of children at two years old.
“This award is truly a culmination of decades of work trying to figure out how maternal prenatal nutrition and other exposures affect the short- and long-term health of her offspring, and I’m very humbled,” said Dr. Villar. “But this work never could have been possible without funding from March of Dimes and the support of many colleagues in Oxford and around the world with whom I have the privilege to work with. All of us serve a greater purpose than just informing moms about what to eat or doctors which growth standard to use.”
“We look at a woman’s pregnancy and what happens to her through a social, economic, and cultural lens, and work toward equities that allow all moms to have the opportunity to achieve nutritional goals that set babies up for lifelong success. That is the challenge ahead, and I couldn’t be prouder to continue it alongside March of Dimes.”
About March of Dimes
March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start. Building on a successful legacy since 1938, we support every pregnant person and every family. To learn more about March of Dimes, please visit marchofdimes.org.