The effect of maternal exercise on fetal aortic blood flow

Abstract

SummaryFifty healthy pregnant women in the last trimester of pregnancy had an acute exercise test. Fetal aortic velocimetry waveforms were measured to monitor the effect of maternal exercise on the fetal aorta. The mean gestational age was 33 weeks (range 28–38 weeks). The mean exercise intensity achieved was 67 per cent of wbniasinial exercise (range 56–92 per cent). Following exercise, the systolic over diastolic ratio (SD) of fetal aortic blood How decreased. The fetal S/D ratio wsas found to be directly related to maternal heart rate and blood pressure after exercise. the lower the maternal heart rate and the lower the blood pressure, the lower the fetal S/D ratio. In addition, lower fetal S/D ratios were found in multigravidae, women with a haernoglobin greater than 12 g/dl and non-smokers. Those women who were active before pregnancy also had lower S/D ratios, the lowest values being exhibited by athletes. Higher S/D ratios were found in small fetuses and female fetuses. Apgar scores at birth were l...