M S Ellingsen1, A Pettersen1, S N Stafne2,3, S Mørkved2,3, K Å Salvesen4,5, Kai Evensen4,6. 1. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. 2. Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. 3. Clinic of Clinical Services, St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. 4. Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. 5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. 6. Department of Physiotherapy, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age. DESIGN: Follow up of a multicentre randomised controlled trial. SETTING: St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital, Norway (2007-09). POPULATION: Women randomised to follow a 12-week structured exercise protocol or standard antenatal care during pregnancy. METHODS: At 7 years of age, neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by the parent questionnaire Five-To-Fifteen (FTF), including motor skills, executive functions, perception, memory, language, social skills and possible emotional/behavioural problems. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Continuous and dichotomised (cut-off 90th centile) FTF scores. RESULTS:A total of 855 women were randomised to exercise (n = 429) or standard antenatal care (n = 426) during pregnancy. At follow up, 164 (38.2%) children born to mothers in the intervention group and 115 (27.0%) children born to mothers in the control group participated. We found no group differences in FTF scores or in the proportion of children with scores ≥90th centile. Stratified analyses by sex, subgroup analyses of women who adhered to the exercise protocol or sensitivity analyses excluding preterm children and/or children who had been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: In the present randomised controlled trial follow-up study, regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy did not have adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had no adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age. DESIGN: Follow up of a multicentre randomised controlled trial. SETTING: St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital, Norway (2007-09). POPULATION: Women randomised to follow a 12-week structured exercise protocol or standard antenatal care during pregnancy. METHODS: At 7 years of age, neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by the parent questionnaire Five-To-Fifteen (FTF), including motor skills, executive functions, perception, memory, language, social skills and possible emotional/behavioural problems. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Continuous and dichotomised (cut-off 90th centile) FTF scores. RESULTS: A total of 855 women were randomised to exercise (n = 429) or standard antenatal care (n = 426) during pregnancy. At follow up, 164 (38.2%) children born to mothers in the intervention group and 115 (27.0%) children born to mothers in the control group participated. We found no group differences in FTF scores or in the proportion of children with scores ≥90th centile. Stratified analyses by sex, subgroup analyses of women who adhered to the exercise protocol or sensitivity analyses excluding preterm children and/or children who had been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: In the present randomised controlled trial follow-up study, regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy did not have adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had no adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.
Authors: Melissa A Jones; Kara M Whitaker; Sharon E Taverno Ross; Kelliann Davis; Klaus Libertus; Bethany Barone Gibbs Journal: Children (Basel) Date: 2021-06-25