Abstract
AimTo analyse i) the association of physical fitness during early second trimester and late pregnancy with maternal and neonatal outcomes; and ii) to investigate whether physical fitness is associated with the type of birth (vaginal or caesarean section).MethodsPregnant women from the GESTAFIT Project (n = 159) participated in this longitudinal study. Maternal physical fitness including upper- and lower-body strength, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and flexibility were measured through objective physical fitness tests at the 16th and 34th gestational weeks. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected from obstetric medical records. Umbilical arterial and venous blood gas pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) and oxygen (PO2), were assessed.ResultsAt the 16th week, greater upper-body muscle strength was associated with greater neonatal birth weight (r = 0.191, p<0.05). Maternal flexibility was associated with a more alkaline arterial pH (r = 0.220, p<0.05), higher arterial PO2 (r = 0.237, p<0.05) and lower arterial PCO2 (r = -0.331, p<0.01) in umbilical cord blood. Maternal CRF at the 16th gestational week was related to higher arterial umbilical cord PO2 (r = 0.267, p<0.05). The women who had caesarean sections had lower CRF (p<0.001) at the 16th gestational week and worse clustered overall physical fitness, both at the 16th (-0.227, p = 0.003, confidence interval (CI): -0.376, -0.078) and 34th gestational week (-0.223; p = 0.018; CI: -0.432, -0.015) compared with the women who had vaginal births.ConclusionIncreasing physical fitness during pregnancy may promote better neonatal outcomes and is associated with a decrease in the risk of caesarean section.This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02582567) on October 20, 2015.
Highlights
Research continues to confirm that exercise during pregnancy contributes to healthier outcomes for both the mother and the fetus [1,2]
While it is well-established that physical activity improves birth outcomes [9,10,11], studies looking at the relationships between objective assessments of fitness and delivery type, gestational age, duration of labour stages, birth weight and values of umbilical cord blood gas are limited
We previously found that higher levels of light or moderate physical activity during pregnancy were associated with greater umbilical arterial oxygen saturation and higher levels of venous cord blood pH; we showed that higher levels of sedentary time during pregnancy were related to worse pregnancy outcomes [10]
Summary
Research continues to confirm that exercise during pregnancy contributes to healthier outcomes for both the mother and the fetus [1,2]. Improved physical fitness is usually observed in women who exercise during pregnancy [6] and is associated with better perinatal health outcomes [7,8]. It is noteworthy that in 2016 in Spain there were 22% caesarean sections in public hospitals [16], higher than the 15% rate recommended by the World Health Organization [17]. It is of great importance for clinical practice to analyse the associations between maternal variables and improvements in the rates of caesarean sections
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
