OBJECTIVE:To investigate the relationship between physical activity during the second trimester pregnancy and low birth weight, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction.
METHODS:Case-control study including 273 low birth weight newborns and 546 controls carried out in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. Low birth weight cases were grouped into two subsamples: preterm birth (n=117) and intrauterine growth restriction (n=134), with their related controls. Information was collected by means of interviews with mothers shortly after birth and transcription of medical records. Data were analyzed using conditional multiple and hierarchical logistic regression.
RESULTS:Light physical activity for over 7 hours per day was shown to be protective against low birth weight (adjusted OR=0.61; 95% CI 0.39-0.94) with a dose-response relationship (p-value for trend=0.026). A similar trend was found for intrauterine growth restriction (adjusted OR=0.51; 95% CI 0.26-0.97). Homemaking activities were associated as a protective factor for both low birth weight and preterm birth (p-value for trend=0.013 and 0.035, respectively). Leisure-time walking was found to be protective against preterm birth.
CONCLUSIONS:Mild physical activity during the second trimester of pregnancy such as walking has an independent protective effect on low birth weight, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. Low birth weight is an important public health issue in both developed and developing countries. It is the main factor infl uencing health and nutritional conditions and child survival, and is also associated with occurrence of chronic diseases in adult life.
10Over the past two decades -in contrast to the declining trend seen for many health indicators, such as child mortality, postnatal malnutrition, and malnutrition among adult women -prevalence of low birth weight (under 2,500 grams) has remained stable, or even increased in cities of Southern and Southeastern Brazil. There are two major processes that can lead to low birth weight: preterm birth and restricted intrauterine growth. In the city of Pelotas, over the last two decades, Barros et al 2 observed a slight increase in the prevalence of low birth weight and a greater increase in preterm birth (6.3% in 1982 to 16.2% in 2004), whereas prevalence of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) remained unaltered.
RESUMO OBJETIVO:Analisar a relação entre atividade física durante o segundo trimestre de gestação e baixo peso ao nascer, prematuridade e restrição de crescimento intra-uterino.
MÉTODOS:Estudo de caso-controle realizado no município de São Paulo, em 2005. Foram estudados 273 recém-nascidos de baixo peso e 546 controles. Dentre os casos foram selecionadas duas sub-amostras: 117 nascimentos pré-termo e 132 com restrição de crescimento intra-uterino (n=132) e seus respectivos controles. As informações foram obtidas mediante entrevistas com as puérperas e transcrição de dados dos prontuários. Foram realizadas análises de regressão logística múltipla...