Physical activity during pregnancy is associated with a lower number of perineal tears

Childbirth perineal tears significantly affect the quality of life of women, both physically and mentally. It is necessary to find strategies that, without altering the normal development of pregnancy, prevent these complications. Objective To determine the influence of physical activity performed during pregnancy on the childbirth perineal tears in healthy pregnant women. Materials and methods An observational prospective study was carried out. Sixty‐two pregnant women were interviewed during the last trimester of pregnancy. The Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) was used to determine the level of physical activity, and data regarding of the perineal tear rates as well as other maternal and newborn parameters, was collected. Results Overall, 54% of the pregnant women suffered tears. There were no tears of type 3 or 4. Our results show a lower perineal tear rate for the group of active pregnant women. Significant differences were observed between study groups in the percentage of tears (χ 2 (1) = 7.245; P  = .007), as well as the percentage of type 1 tears (χ 2 (1) = 2.918; P  = .044). Conclusions A significant association between the amount of physical activity performed by pregnant women and the number of tears resulting from the birth process was found.