The Effect of Supervised Prenatal Exercise on Fetal Growth

Abstract

These data demonstrate that structured prenatal exercise reduces the risk of having a large newborn without a change in the risk of having a small newborn.

Exercise in pregnancy: an association with placental weight?

“…4,6,25 Our results suggest that pregnant women who exercise at high levels, have increased odds of having a placenta among the 5% smallest. Thus, our findings suggest that high exercise frequency may lead to a shift in the placental weight distribution towards smaller placentas.…”

“…High frequency of exercise in pregnancy has been associated with a slightly lower mean birthweight [3][4][5][6] and with reduced risk of having a newborn with high birthweight. 4,6,25 Our results suggest that pregnant women who exercise at high levels, have increased odds of having a placenta among the 5% smallest.…”

“…Results from clinical 3 and observational studies 4,5 suggest that women with high levels of exercise during pregnancy give birth to offspring with slightly lower mean birthweight than women with low levels of exercise without increasing the risk of having offspring with birthweight below 2500 g or below the 10 th percentile. 4,6 The placenta plays a key role in fetal growth and development. 7,8 Except for one epidemiological study in Denmark, 4 studies on the association of exercise during pregnancy with placental weight are based on small study samples, and the results are inconsistent.…”

Maternal Responses to Aerobic Exercise in Pregnancy

“…However, a recent large-scale meta-analysis on the impact of chronic exercise on fetal growth (28 randomized controlled trials/5322 infants) demonstrate no increased risk of small infants, and in fact showed that maternal exercise resulted in a 31% reduction in the risk of large babies. 21 These findings suggest that maternal adaptations exist to maintain adequate glucose delivery to the fetus during exercise.…”

Components of Exercise Prescription and Pregnancy

“…2 These benefits include improved fitness, 3 prevention of excessive gestational weight gain, 4 obesity/weight retention, 5 gestational diabetes, 6 hypertension, 4 maternal depression, 7 and reduction in cesarean section rates. 4 Furthermore, maternal exercise has been linked to appropriate fetal weight gain 8 and prevention of chronic disease development in the offspring. 9 In contrast, physical inactivity and sedentary behavior have been associated with obesity and its comorbidities, diabetes, hypertension, 4 cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and depression.…”