Research on the Influence of Prenatal Exercise on the Type of Delivery

Abstract

INTRODUCTION / OBJECTIVE Pregnant women were not recommended to exercise because there was a risk of preterm delivery. Prenatal exercise however may reduce the risk of preterm delivery by other mechanisms such as reduced oxidative stress or improved placental vascularization. Given that the number of cesarean deliveries is growing and that a moderate-intensity physical activity can have a beneficial effect on mother and fetus, it is necessary to determine the frequency of delivery with pregnant women who performed prenatal exercises and those who did not exercise.
METERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty pregnant women participated in the study (n = 120). Pregnant women who attended only the theoretical part were included in the control group (n = 59). By joining the experimental group, pregnant women (n = 61) participated in both the theoretical part and prenatal exercises. We followed each participant for 8 weeks, which is the duration of one cycle of psychophysical preparation.
RESULT: In the group where pregnant women practiced prenatal exercises, vaginal deliveries predominate, almost twice as many as cesarean births. On the other hand, in the group where pregnant women did not exercise there is a slight decrease in the frequency of vaginal deliveries, with a tendency to equalize the results because there is an evident increase in the cesarean sections in that group. The application of the chi-square test did not determine the presence of a statistically significant difference in terms of delivery between the group of pregnant women who practiced prenatal exercises and those who did not.
CONCLUSION: Prenatal exercise of moderate intensity has a positive impact on the type of delivery. Although no statistically significant difference was observed between pregnant women who exercised and those who did not, there is a tendency for an increase in vaginal delivery in pregnant women who performed prenatal exercise.