Objective To access the benefits or harms of an exercise program, based on the current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines, on the mode of delivery, duration and onset of labor. Methods A study performed at the Hospital Senhora da Oliveira between October 2015 and February 2017. This was a quasi-experimental study involving 255 women divided into two groups: an intervention group engaged in a controlled and supervised exercise program during pregnancy (n = 99), and a control group that did not participate in the exercise program (n = 156). Data were collected in two stages: during the 1st trimester biochemical screening (before the beginning of the program), through a written questionnaire, and after delivery, from the medical files of the patients. The significance level in the present study was 5% (p = 0.05). Results The control group had higher odds of induced labor (odds ratio [OR] 2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42–5.17; p = 0.003), when compared with women who underwent the intervention. No differences were found between the groups in instrumental vaginal deliveries, cesarean rate, time until the beginning of the active phase, duration of the active phase, and duration of the second stage of labor. Conclusion The implementation of a controlled and supervised exercise program in pregnancy was associated with significantly lower odds of induced deliveries.

Physical activity during pregnancy assumes an important role in the health of both the pregnant and newborn. Given that physical activity tends to decrease throughout this period, it is essential to inform and encourage pregnant women to acquire healthy lifestyles, enabling them to improve their physical and psychological well-being. This study aims to evaluate the impact of an intervention program on pregnant, newborn, and gestation outcomes, by increasing physical activity levels during this important period of woman's life. This study will be conducted with 410 pregnant women in the first trimester. Participants will be recruited through the central hospital or community centers. Following consent and baseline data collection, pregnant women who do not have any medical or obstetric contraindication for physical exercise, will be assigned to the control or intervention groups. There will be 3 assessment periods: baseline (time 1—between the 7th and 10th week of gestation), after the intervention (time 2—between the 1st and 3rd day after delivery), and follow-up (time 3—1 month after delivery). The intervention group will have an intervention program, which comprises 2 terms: (1) teachers’ training delivered by researchers and (2) intervention delivered to pregnant women by trained teachers, which consists in 3 weekly classes of physical exercise (45/50 min each). The control group will have the standard care that is usually provided by health professionals. The research has been approved by the Subcommittee on Ethics for the Life Sciences and Health of the University of Minho (id: SECVS 086/2015) and by the Ethics Committee for Health from the Central Hospital (id: 056/2014). There is a registration in clinical trials.gov, with the reference NCT03045237 (02/2017). This study has the potential to increase pregnant's physical activity levels and contribute to programs and policies developed to optimize lifestyles during pregnancy and with implications in newborn outcomes.

In Portugal, early childhood education and care services for children under-three were the first educational services to reopen after periods of lockdown. COVID-19 prevention and control measures had to be implemented nationwide, but no knowledge was yet produced on their impact in educational settings. This study aimed to map the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures and examine associations among prevention and control measures, perceived changes to pedagogical practices and children’s well-being in early childhood education and care services for children under three. In this study, 1098 early childhood education and care professionals from all districts completed an online survey during January and February 2021. Results indicated that prevention and control measures were widely implemented. Furthermore, early childhood education and care professionals who started to implement prevention and control measures more frequently were more likely to perceive a reinforcement of their pedagogical practices at the level of adult-child interaction, emotional climate, and interaction with families, and reported higher levels of children’s well-being. Findings highlighted the potential role of pedagogical practices in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 in early childhood education and care services for children under-three.