Moderate intensity aerobic exercise during pregnancy and 1‐month infant Morphometry
Samantha M. McDonald, Christy Isler, Kelley Haven, Edward R. Newton, Devon Kuehn, George A. Kelley, Lisa Chasan‐Taber, Linda E. May
Abstract
Abstract Objective Assess the effects of supervised, prenatal aerobic exercise intervention on 1‐month‐old neonatal morphometry. Methods Secondary data analyses of a 24+ week, randomized controlled exercise intervention trial in pregnant women between 2015 and 2018 were performed. Eligibility criteria included pregnant women: <16 weeks of gestation, singleton pregnancy, aged 18–40 years, and body mass index of 18.5–35.00 kg∙m 2 . Eligible pregnant women ( n = 128) were randomly assigned a moderate‐intensity aerobic exercise group ( n = 68) or a nonexercising group ( n = 60) consisting of light stretching and breathing techniques. Neonatal weight, skinfold thickness, circumferences, and fat‐free mass were measured at 1‐month of age. Covariates included weight gain, gestational diabetes mellitus, and neonatal sex. ANCOVAs for intention‐to‐treat (ITT) and per protocol were performed. Results ITT and per protocol analyses included 74 and 56 participants, respectively. Adjusted regression results showed significant between‐group differences for neonatal skinfold thickness ( ITT : 20.0 mm vs. 22.2 mm; p = .04; per protocol : 19.8 mm vs. 22.3 mm; p = .03) and body fat ( per protocol 13.2% vs. 15.1%; p = .05). No between‐group differences for weight ( p = .36, .25), abdominal ( p = .08, .35) and mid‐upper arm circumferences ( p = .30, .26), or fat‐free mass ( p = .83, .69). Conclusion The study findings suggest that aerobic exercise has a beneficial impact on neonatal skinfold thickness and percent body fat at 1 month of age. Participation in the recommended levels of aerobic exercise (150 min, moderate‐intensity per week) throughout the prenatal period may serve as an effective strategy to reduce the risk of overweight or obesity in the early postnatal period.