THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL EXERCISES ON PRETERM CHILDBIRTH AND NEONATAL CONSEQUENCES AND OUTCOMES IN PRIMIPAROUS PREGNANT WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY

Preterm childbirth refers to the birth of a live child before gestational age of 37 weeks, and is one of the most important determinants of neonatal morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The present study aims to determine the effect of prenatal exercise on preterm childbirth and neonatal consequences and outcomes in primiparous pregnant women.

The present study was enrolled on 80 healthy primiparous pregnant women of Damghan city who met the conditions to enter the study in 2020 and randomization was carried out online.The supervised sports included: individual walking two days a week with self- chosen intensity based on the principle of load increase as well as sitting palates along with stand pregnancy aerobics with moderate intensity three times a week and each time was 45 minutes, which started from 18 to 20 weeks and continued until 37 to 39 weeks of pregnancy. The comparison group had usual care during pregnancy. Multivariate analysis of variance and independent t test were used to compare two groups.

There was no significant difference in the rate of preterm birth in the two groups. The results of independent t-tests showed that there is a significant difference in the Apgar variables of the first minute (p=0.017) and oxygen saturation (p=0.001) between the two intervention and comparison groups. Also, the results of this research showed that there was a relationship between the group (intervention or comparison) and neonatal outcome (positive or negative) and being in the intervention group is a predictor of positive neonatal outcome.

Besides having a positive effect on neonatal outcomes (Apgar score and oxygen saturation), regular and managed exercise leads to positive outcomes in neonatal outcomes, especially reducing hospitalizations.