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Infographic. Prenatal physical activity: baby steps for better health
  1. Margie H Davenport1,
  2. Trevor Horbachewsky2,
  3. Michael Brown2,
  4. Nicole Graham3,
  5. Jocelyn Love3,
  6. Michelle Mottola4,
  7. Stephanie-May Ruchat5
  1. 1 Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, Physical Activity and Diabetes Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation, Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  2. 2 University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  3. 3 Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  4. 4 R Samuel McLaughlin Foundation- Exercise and Pregnancy Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Children’s Health Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
  5. 5 Department of Human Kinetics, Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Dr Margie H Davenport, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G2E1, Canada; mdavenpo{at}ualberta.ca

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101056

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    The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy provides evidence-based recommendations for pregnant women to optimise maternal/fetal health.1–4 It was developed by a pan-Canadian panel of clinicians, exercise professionals, researchers and methodologists following rigorous, gold-standard methodology for guideline development (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument) and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. The recommendations within this document are based on an exhaustive review of the literature distilled into 12 systematic reviews examining the influence of physical activity during pregnancy on maternal, fetal or neonatal morbidity, or fetal mortality. These reviews were published in the dedicated Pregnancy Issues of the British Journal of Sports Medicine in November 2018 and January 2019. This infographic is an important end product of this endeavour (figures 1 and 2). Our aim is to provide women with pertinent information on the benefits of being active throughout the pregnancy and we urge readers to share this infographic across their professional networks, empowering medical professionals to advise patients on physical activity throughout pregnancy with confidence and clarity.

    Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Infographic of the SOGC/CSEP 2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy.

    Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Infographie des lignes Directrices Canadiennes Sur L'activité Physique Durant La Grossesse de 2019.

    Our evidence from exercise-only randomised controlled trials demonstrates that women who were physically active (in the absence of medical contraindications), had substantial reduction in the odds of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (38%), gestational hypertension (39%), pre-eclampsia (41%), excessive gestational weight gain (32%), macrosomia (39%) and depression (67%), compared with women who did not. Critically, prenatal physical activity was not associated with an increased odds of miscarriage, preterm delivery or a small for gestational age baby; which should reassure women and practitioners of the safety of prenatal physical activity.

    The 2019 guideline recommends that pregnant women engage in at least 150 min of moderate intensity physical activity of various types spread over 3 or more days of the week to achieve clinically meaningful benefits to maternal and fetal health outcomes. This document represents a foundational shift in our view of prenatal physical activity from a recommended behaviour to improve quality of life, to a specific prescription for physical activity to reduce pregnancy complications and optimise health across the lifespan of two generations. It is critical that this guideline be disseminated and implemented into clinical practice to achieve the significant and potentially lifelong health benefits for both the mother and the child. Our infographic serves both of these goals.

    References

    1. ↵
      2. Mottola MF ,
      3. Davenport MH ,
      4. Ruchat S-M , et al
      . 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:1339–46.doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-100056
      OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
    2. ↵
      2. Mottola MF ,
      3. Davenport MH ,
      4. Ruchat S-M , et al
      . N° 367-2019 Lignes Directrices Canadiennes SUR L'activité physique Durant La Grossesse. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2018;40:1538–48.doi:10.1016/j.jogc.2018.09.003
      OpenUrl
    3. ↵
      2. Mottola MF ,
      3. Davenport MH ,
      4. Ruchat S-M , et al
      . No. 367-2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2018;40:1528–37.doi:10.1016/j.jogc.2018.07.001
      OpenUrl
    4. ↵
      2. Davenport MH ,
      3. Ruchat S-M ,
      4. Mottola MF , et al
      . 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy: methodology. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2018;40:1468–83.doi:10.1016/j.jogc.2018.09.004
      OpenUrl

    Footnotes

    • Contributors MHD, MB, NG and JL conceived the project. TH developed the infographic. MHD, MM and S-MR developed the content. S-MR conducted the translation into French.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.