effects of regular exercise on pregnancy outcome

ABSTRACT

Most women who report increased levels of physical activity are not at an increased risk of preterm delivery or reduced intrauterine growth. This study was conducted to look into the safety and effects of regularly timed aerobic exercises during pregnancy on both the mother and the neonate. A prospective, case-control study was done on 120 healthy pregnant women in their first trimester. The data were collected in the prenatal outpatient care, labor and delivery rooms of a university-based Obstetrics Department. After completing basic information forms, the pregnant women were educated on the specific exercises in 8 stages throughout the pregnancy. Sixty-three patients presenting for delivery without any history of physical exercise were selected as the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding their occupation. The exercising group experienced significantly decreased durations of labor. There was no significant difference in neonatal birth weight or apgar scores. There were a significant decreased number of assisted deliveries in the exercising group. Exercise during pregnancy shortens the duration of the second stage of labor and reduces the risk of assisted delivery while is safe for the neonate too