Pregnancy exercise safe

EXERCISE during pregnancy is safe and does not increase the risk of pre-term birth, a study has revealed.

According to the study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, women who exercised were less likely to have a Caesarean-section than those who did not.

Historically, women were discouraged from vigorous exercise during pregnancy because of the risk of pre-term birth.

“The thinking was that exercise releases norepinephrine in the body, which is a chemical that can stimulate contractions of the uterus, and thus lead to pre-term birth,” said Professor Vincenzo Berghella of Thomas Jefferson University.

“However, numerous studies, including this new meta-analysis, have since shown that exercise does not harm the baby and can even have benefits for the mom and baby.”

The researchers pooled data from nine randomised controlled studies in which pregnant women were divided into two groups.

Of the 2 059 women included in the analysis, about half exercised for 35-90 minutes three or four times a week for 10 weeks or up until their delivery, while the other half engaged in no exercise.

The researchers found that there was no significant increase in pre-term birth.

Women who exercised were more likely to deliver vaginally – 73% of exercising women delivered vaginally against 67% of non-exercising women. – IANS