Is there any association between abdominal strength training before and during pregnancy and delivery outcome? The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Abdominal strength training before and during pregnancy has been recommended to enhance normal vaginal birth by enabling increased force needed for active pushing. However, to date there is little research addressing this hypothesis.

Objective: To investigate whether nulliparous pregnant women reporting regular abdominal strength training prior to and at two time points during pregnancy have reduced risk of cesarean section, instrumental assisted vaginal delivery and third- and fourth-degree perineal tears.

Methods: Analysis of 36124 nulliparous pregnant women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study during the period 1999-2009 who responded to questions regards the main exposure; regular abdominal strength training. Data on delivery outcomes were retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between exposure and outcome before pregnancy and at gestational weeks 17 and 30.

Results: Amongst participants, 66.9% reported doing abdominal strength training exercises before pregnancy, declining to 31.2% at gestational week 30. The adjusted odds ratios were 0.97 (95% CI 0.79-1.19) for acute cesarean section, among those training with the same frequency before and during pregnancy compared to those that never trained. The results were similar for instrumental assisted vaginal delivery and third- and fourth-degree perineal tear.

Conclusion: There was no association between the report of regular abdominal strength training before and during pregnancy and delivery outcomes in this prospective population-based cohort.

Keywords: Abdominals; Exercise; Gestation; Physical activity; Post-natal; Pre-natal.

Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure 1

Flow chart of the study participants.