General Obstetrics and Gynecology: ObstetricsExercise-related changes in umbilical and uterine artery waveforms as assessed by Doppler ultrasound scans☆,☆☆
Section snippets
Methods
This study was carried out with 22 nonsmoking primiparous women from 30 to 34 weeks of gestation (as confirmed by a first trimester dating scan) with uneventful pregnancies to date. This group is a subgroup of a larger study that is looking at the effects of exercise in pregnancy. These women had a low level of fitness, as classified by Artal et al,4 who were mainly sedentary with only occasional episodes of exercise and with jobs that were mainly sedentary with minimal physical effort. All
Results
In all 22 women were recruited. The maternal characteristics are presented in Table I.Characteristic Mean ± SD Age (y) 25.9 ± 4.9 Height (cm) 163.4 ± 7.0 Weight (kg) 72.2 ± 11.7 Gestation (wk) 32.1 ± 1.4 Body mass index (kg/m2) 26.9 ± 3.8 Economic group 3.6 ± 1.3 Calorie day−1 (kcal) 2375 ± 578
Comment
Several previous studies, with the use of different methods, have looked at the effect of maternal exercise on umbilical artery waveforms with differing results.14, 15, 16, 17 The methods of these studies have varied greatly. The significance of most of these studies is limited as quantification of stress in the exercise test (load or duration) or objective quantification in physiologic terms (percent of maximum oxygen consumption or heart rate) was not detailed. A number of these studies used
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2014, Early Human DevelopmentCitation Excerpt :In the absence of obstetric complications, moderate exercise during pregnancy is generally considered safe and poses no known risk to the fetus [1–8].
The Effect of Vigorous Exercise During Pregnancy
2008, Journal of Midwifery and Women's HealthCitation Excerpt :In theory, there are potential risks to the fetus during maternal exercise. The fetus may be negatively affected by several maternal physical responses including: stimulation of uterine contractility by exercise-induced hormones,4 decreased uteroplacental blood flow caused by increased circulation to working muscles,5 fetal hypoglycemia secondary to increased glucose use by working muscles,6 and hyperthermia from exercise.7 There is limited information on how these potential risks may affect fetal well-being during vigorous maternal exercise because of variations in research designs, types of exercise, and trimester of study.8,9
Fetal response to maternal exercise in pregnancies with uteroplacental insufficiency
2005, American Journal of Obstetrics and GynecologyCan Maternal Exercise Prevent High-Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension in Children?
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Supported by The Friends of the Rotunda.
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Reprint requests: Mairead M. Kennelly, MRCOG, Research Department, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square, Dublin, Ireland.