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Review
. 2023 Dec 21;14(1):14.
doi: 10.3390/jpm14010014.

Impact of Physical Activity Interventions on High-Risk Pregnancies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cristina Silva-Jose  1 , Michelle F Mottola  2 , Montse Palacio  3 , Miguel Sánchez-Polán  1 , Dingfeng Zhang  1 , Ignacio Refoyo  4 , Rubén Barakat  1
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Physical Activity Interventions on High-Risk Pregnancies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cristina Silva-Jose et al. J Pers Med. .

Abstract

Pregnant women with absolute contraindications may be advised against physical activity throughout pregnancy. In this context, bed rest elevates the short-term risk of neonatal complications, thereby exacerbating negative long-term effects on childhood development. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of various physical activity interventions during bed rest or activity restriction in pregnancy on factors such as birth weight, preterm birth, maternal hypertension, gestational age at delivery, and the incidence of cesarean sections. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review was designed. The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42022370875). Nine studies, with a total sample of 3173 women, from six countries on four continents were included. There were significant differences in the relationship between bed rest status and birth weight (Z = 2.64; p = 0.008) (MD = 142.57, 95% CI = 36.56, 248.58, I2 = 0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.45) favourable to active groups. No significant differences were found in other analyzed outcomes. Pregnant women who experience this problem must maintain a minimum of daily activity to alleviate these physiological complications and the medical field must understand the consequences of physical inactivity during pregnancy.

Keywords: bed rest; outcomes; physical activity; pregnancy; restriction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 2
Figure 2
Risk of bias of selected studies [37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45].
Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of the review process.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of activity in high-risk pregnancy compared to activity restriction on birth weight [37,38,39,40,44,45].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of activity in a high-risk pregnancy compared to activity restriction on preterm birth [39,40,41,42].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effect of activity in a high-risk pregnancy compared to activity restriction on maternal hypertension [37,39,42,44,45].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effect of activity in a high-risk pregnancy compared to activity restriction on gestational age at delivery [37,39,40,41,44,45].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effect of activity in a high-risk pregnancy compared to activity restriction on C-section [37,39,42,44,45].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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