Key result
Prenatal exercise does not alter fetal echocardiographic measures versus stretching, suggesting safety for heart development.
Why the study?
While aerobic exercise during pregnancy benefits fetal heart dimensions and outflow, the exercise type-specific effects of resistance and combination exercise have not been explored.
Do different types of maternal exercise (aerobic, resistance, combination) alter fetal echocardiographic measures in late pregnancy compared to no exercise?
RCT (n=184)
Single-blind
Computerized sequencing
No
Do different types of maternal exercise (aerobic, resistance, combination) alter fetal echocardiographic measures in late pregnancy compared to no exercise?
Different types of prenatal exercise (aerobic, resistance, combination) are safe for fetal heart development and alter specific fetal echocardiographic measures depending on exercise dose and attendance.
Supports safety of prenatal exercise for fetal cardiac measures; leaves open dose-dependent effects for randomized confirmation.
Background/Aims: While aerobic exercise during pregnancy has been specifically shown to benefit fetal heart dimensions and outflow, the exercise type-specific effects of resistance and combination (resistance and aerobic) exercise have not been explored. The study was performed to independently assess the effects of resistance, aerobic and combination exercise on fetal heart measures in late pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This study utilized 3 exercise intervention groups (aerobic AE n=61, combination AERE n=40, or resistance RE n=33) in comparison to a non-exercise control group (n = 50). At 35-36 weeks of gestation, fetal echocardiographs were obtained via ultrasonography and analyzed for heart rate, cardiac chamber size, and cardiac outflow diameters. Between-group mean differences in fetal measures were assessed by one-way ANOVA for continuous (fetal heart rate, ventricle diameter, stroke volume, cardiac output, vascular diameter) variables. Results: Prenatal exercise altered left ventricular stroke volume and aortic diameter in AE and RE groups, respectively. Maternal exercise dose was significantly (p < .05) and negatively correlated with most measures, including fetal heart rate. Further, fetal heart rate was predicted by maternal fitness level, while fetal right and left ventricular measures were dependent on maternal exercise attendance. Conclusion: These data suggest that different prenatal exercise types are safe for fetal heart development, and that compliance with the recommended prenatal exercise dose contributes to beneficial outcomes.
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Linda E. May (2023) conducted an RCT in Pregnancy (n=184). Aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise vs. Stretching, breathing, and flexibility exercises (control) was evaluated on Fetal echocardiographic measures (heart rate, cardiac chamber size, and cardiac outflow diameters) at 34-36 weeks gestation. Prenatal aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise did not significantly alter fetal echocardiographic measures compared to a stretching control group in the intention-to-treat analysis, suggesting these exercise types are safe for fetal heart development.
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