Physical activity in pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes

• Published in: Cadernos de saúde pública 2016, Vol.32 (11)
• Main Authors: Rêgo, Adriana Sousa, Alves, Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Britto e, Batista, Rosângela Fernandes Lucena, Ribeiro, Cecília Claúdia Costa, Bettiol, Heloísa, Cardoso, Viviane Cunha, Barbieri, Marco Antonio, Loureiro, Flávia Helen Furtado, Silva, Antonio Augusto Moura da
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Subjects: Health Policy & Services
• ISSN: 1678-4464
• DOI: 10.1590/0102-311x00086915

This study focused on the association between physical activity in the second trimester of pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes: low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The study used a sample from the BRISA cohort, São Luís, Maranhão State, Brazil, which included women with singleton pregnancy, gestational age from 22 to 25 weeks confirmed by obstetric ultrasound performed at < 20 weeks, and re-interviewed in the first 24 hours postpartum (n = 1,380). Level of physical activity was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), short version, categorized as high, moderate, and low. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) was used to identify minimum adjustment to control confounding. High physical activity was not associated with LBW (RR = 0.94; 95%CI: 0.54-1.63), PTB (RR = 0.86; 95%CI: 0.48-1.54), or IUGR (RR = 0.80; 95%CI: 0.55-1.15). The results support the hypothesis that physical activity during pregnancy does not result in adverse perinatal outcomes.