Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Impact of Exercise during Pregnancy on Maternal and Offspring Health

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Women's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2022) | Viewed by 6932

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Samantha McDonald

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Applied Science and Technology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761, USA
Interests: exercise science; exercise physiology; physical activity epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Growing scientific evidence indicates that sufficient exercise during pregnancy elicits positive health benefits to the mother, fetus and neonate. Health benefits related to prenatal exercise include controlled gestational weight gain, reduced postpartum weight retention, improved cardiovascular function and body composition. While these beneficial health outcomes are frequently observed in rigorously designed intervention studies, knowledge on the underlying mechanisms leading to these health changes remain unclear. Moreover, previous studies are predominantly conducted among women with healthy pregnancies, resulting in a large gap in knowledge regarding the effects of prenatal exercise in pregnancies complicated by overweight, obesity, preeclampsia, metabolic syndrome, etc. Thus, studies investigating the potential roles of the development and function of the placenta, adaptations to maternal skeletal muscle, metabolism, cytokine profiles, hormone concentrations in both healthy and complicated pregnancies are needed.

This Special Issue, entitled “Impact of Exercise during Pregnancy on Maternal and Offspring Health”, is soliciting original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, brief reports and commentaries that address these significant gaps in knowledge.

Dr. Samantha McDonald
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

pregnancy
exercise
maternal obesity
placenta
gestational diabetes
weight gain
aerobic
neonates
metabolism

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Other

15 pages, 508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Aerobic Exercise, but Not Blood Docosahexaenoic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Concentrations, during Pregnancy Influence Infant Body Composition

by Cody J. Strom, Samantha M. McDonald, Mary-Margaret Remchak, Kimberly A. Kew, Blake R. Rushing, Joseph A. Houmard, David A. Tulis, Roman Pawlak, George A. Kelley, Lisa Chasan-Taber, Edward Newton, Christy Isler, James DeVente, Madigan Raper and Linda E. May

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8293; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19148293 - 07 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1954

Abstract

Although discrete maternal exercise and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation individually are beneficial for infant body composition, the effects of exercise and PUFA during pregnancy on infant body composition have not been studied. This study evaluated the body composition of infants born to women participating in a randomized control exercise intervention study. Participants were randomized to aerobic exercise (n = 25) or control (stretching and breathing) groups (n = 10). From 16 weeks of gestation until delivery, the groups met 3×/week. At 16 and 36 weeks of gestation, maternal blood was collected and analyzed for Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA). At 1 month postnatal, infant body composition was assessed via skinfolds (SFs) and circumferences. Data from 35 pregnant women and infants were analyzed via t-tests, correlations, and regression. In a per protocol analysis, infants born to aerobic exercisers exhibited lower SF thicknesses of triceps (p = 0.008), subscapular (p = 0.04), SF sum (p = 0.01), and body fat (BF) percentage (%) (p = 0.006) compared with controls. After controlling for 36-week DHA and EPA levels, exercise dose was determined to be a negative predictor for infant skinfolds of triceps (p = 0.001, r² = 0.27), subscapular (p = 0.008, r² = 0.19), SF sum (p = 0.001, r² = 0.28), mid-upper arm circumference (p = 0.049, r² = 0.11), and BF% (p = 0.001, r² = 0.32). There were no significant findings for PUFAs and infant measures: during pregnancy, exercise dose, but not blood DHA or EPA levels, reduces infant adiposity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Exercise during Pregnancy on Maternal and Offspring Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 488 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of Self-Reported Physical Fitness during Late Pregnancy with Birth Outcomes and Oxytocin Administration during Labour—The GESTAFIT Project

by Laura Baena-García, Nuria Marín-Jiménez, Lidia Romero-Gallardo, Milkana Borges-Cosic, Olga Ocón-Hernández, Marta Flor-Alemany and Virginia A. Aparicio

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 8201; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18158201 - 03 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1975

Abstract

We explored (a) the associations between self-reported maternal physical fitness and birth outcomes; (b) whether self-reported maternal physical fitness (PF) is related to the administration of oxytocin to induce or stimulate labour. Pregnant women from the GESTAFIT project randomized controlled trial (n = 117) participated in this prospective longitudinal study. Maternal physical fitness was assessed through the International Fitness Scale at the 34th gestational week. Maternal and neonatal birth outcomes and oxytocin administration were collected from the obstetric medical records. Umbilical arterial and venous cord blood gas were analysed immediately after birth. Self-reported overall fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and flexibility were not related to any maternal and neonatal birth outcomes (all p > 0.05). Greater speed-agility was associated with a more alkaline arterial (p = 0.04) and venous (p = 0.02) pH in the umbilical cord blood. Women who were administered oxytocin to induce or stimulate labour reported lower cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.013, Cohen’s d = 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14, 0.93) and flexibility (p = 0.040, Cohen´s d = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.89) compared to women who were not administered oxytocin. Greater maternal physical fitness during pregnancy could be associated with better neonatal birth outcomes and lower risk of needing oxytocin administration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Exercise during Pregnancy on Maternal and Offspring Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

22 pages, 839 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Newborn Body Composition: A Systematic Review

by Brenna R. Menke, Cathryn Duchette, Rachel A. Tinius, Alexandria Q. Wilson, Elizabeth A. Altizer and Jill M. Maples

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7127; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19127127 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

The current literature demonstrates that not only is exercise during pregnancy safe, but it has substantial maternal and infant benefits and appears to influence infant growth/size throughout pregnancy and at birth. However, many existing studies have investigated only the effects of prenatal exercise on birth weight. The purpose of this review was to determine the impact or association of maternal physical activity during pregnancy on neonatal body composition assessed between birth and two weeks of age. Electronic database searches were conducted on 29 July 2019 for randomized control trials and cohort studies, with an updated search completed on 8 January 2021. A total of 32 articles that met eligibility criteria were selected for review. Overall, prenatal exercise was not associated with infant body composition at birth. Yet, five of the studies identified suggest that infant body composition could be influenced by higher volumes of mid-to-late term prenatal physical activity. This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (Registration No. CRD42020160138). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Exercise during Pregnancy on Maternal and Offspring Health)

► Show Figures