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Influence of Activity Before or During Pregnancy on Fetal and Infant Heart Outcomes
Author(s) -
May Linda E,
Reoyo Olga R,
Moyer Carmen M,
Newton Edward R,
Strickland Diana
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1214.10
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , fetus , offspring , heart rate , gestation , in utero , obstetrics , physiology , endocrinology , blood pressure , biology , genetics
We hypothesized that exercise during pregnancy will have greater influence than exercise prior to pregnancy on improved offspring heart rate; this was tested by measuring fetal and infant heart rate. Women were classified into 4 groups: AA=active before and during pregnancy, AI=active before, inactive during pregnancy, IA= inactive before, active during pregnancy, and II= inactive before, inactive during pregnancy. Based on current guidelines, active was defined as ≥150min per week of moderate intensity exercise. Those not meeting criteria were classified as inactive. Fetal (36 wk) and infant (1 mo) heart rates were acquired via ECG and MCG recordings. Data from 83 uncomplicated pregnancies (AA=39, AI=13, IA=12, II=19) was analyzed. We found that fetuses from AA women had lowest heart rates of all groups, especially compared to fetuses of II women (p=0.002). In infant HR, we found significantly lower HR in infants exposed to exercise in utero relative to those not exposed with greatest differences in HR between AA and II groups (p=0.001). As we anticipated, we have found significantly lower fetal and infant heart rates in exercise‐exposed offspring regardless of women's activity prior to pregnancy. However, this dataset does not control for fetal/infant activity state, which may influence findings. These results further support the benefit of exercise as the primary mechanism for positive affects on fetal and infant heart rate. These data further support a prenatal programming effect on the fetal cardiac autonomic nervous system from maternal physiological events during gestation. Support or Funding Information East Carolina University StartUp funds