May 7, 2008 – Physical activity during pregnancy would reduce risk of preterm birth, Danish study says1This is revealed by the analysis of interviews carried out from 1996 to 2002, with 87,232 pregnant women.
The majority of participants did not participate in physical activity (70%) during their pregnancy. According to the results, there were fewer preterm deliveries in women who exercised during their pregnancy than in those who did not participate in physical activity.
Some activities practiced by pregnant women include swimming, walking, cycling, aerobics, running, and racquet sports. The average duration of physical activity varied from one to five hours per week.
No relationship could be established between the type or duration of exercise performed and the reduced risk of preterm delivery, note the study authors.
According to the researchers, these results support recommendations from Denmark, Norway, the United States and England. In these countries, it is suggested that pregnant women maintain a level of activity similar to that of women who are not pregnant.
In Quebec, the new guide Live better with our child suggests to active women not to interrupt their physical activities during pregnancy and to those who are more sedentary to start gradually. “Physical activity does not increase the risk of miscarriage or problems for the baby. And women who are active during pregnancy cope better with the physical changes of pregnancy ”, reads the guide.2.
Charles Désy – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters Health.
1. Juhl M, Andersen PK, et al. Physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort, Am J Epidemiol, Apr 1; 167 (7): 859-66.
2. Live better with our child, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 2008. This guide is provided free of charge to pregnant women in Quebec.