Throughout the process of pregnancy, mothers- and fathers-to-be are looking for normal, healthy growth of their unborn child. As a way of better handling the rigors of childbirth, many women participate in exercise programs. While exercise during pregnancy provides the mother a variety of positive benefits such as maintenance of muscular and cardiovascular fitness, there are also various benefits for the fetus.
Birth Weight
One of the more debated topics related to mothers-to-be exercising is baby birth weight. Research has indicated that a maternal mother exercising provides positive effects on the baby's birth weight. In the July 2009 International Journal of Obesity, researchers investigated the relationship between resistance training during pregnancy and baby birth weight. The researchers reported that resistance training during the second and third trimesters posed no danger to a baby's birth weight or general health. Mothers who exercised gave birth to normal weight babies. This was in contrast to non-exercising mothers in the study who ended up having a fetus that was born heavier, which puts a baby at a higher risk for diseases such as diabetes.
Lung Development
Development of key anatomical features of a fetus is important for healthy newborns. Exercise has been equated with helping the development process of fetus organs. In an April 2009 article in Sciencenews.org, author Janet Raloff reported on a research study that was conducted by Linda May and her colleagues at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. May and her colleagues studied the effects of maternal mothers exercising on fetal lung development. Results of the study revealed that not only does exercise not adversely affect fetal lung development but that it also provides a benefit in terms of fetal lung growth and maturation.
Heart Rate
Another benefit of maternal exercise for the fetus is improvement in heart rate. In the 2008 Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers reported that maternal exercise significantly lowers heart rates of fetuses as compared to mothers-to-be who do not exercise. This research is important because it sheds a light into possible advanced protection against cardiovascular disease for a fetus.
References
- International Journal of Obesity: Resistance Exercise Training During Pregnancy and Newborn's Birth Size: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Science News: Mom's Exercise Helps Fetal Lung Development
- Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology: Effects of Maternal Exercise on Fetal Heart Rate
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