Ten thousand steps and more. Play sports during pregnancy to stimulate the intellectual abilities of the future baby? A randomized study conducted in Brazil and Recently published in a specialized journal , the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, suggests that a physical activity program (AP) in pregnant women gives a boost to language development and cognitive abilities of their children.
As at the other moments of existence, the benefits of a regular AP during pregnancy are increasingly supported, and it’s been a double blow, since they concern both the future mother and his small. In particular, in terms of neurodevelopment, literature reviews have already mentioned effects, but they were based primarily on observation studies, less solid epidemiologically as tests assessing the effects of an intervention. in a group compared to a control group.
“A gain of three points of qi”
Otavio Amaral de Andrade Leao (University of Pelotas, Brazil) and his colleagues enlisted 424 pregnant women, between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, in good health, participating in a cohort (Pelotas Birth Cohort Study). For sixteen weeks, 141 of them benefited from three one-hour weekly sessions, with aerobic exercises (rolling carpets or stationary bicycles) and muscle building. Compared to the children of the women of the control group, those of the “sports” mothers have obtained a better score with language and cognitive tests at 2 and 4 years, while there was no difference to 1 year. The improvement was limited, but statistically significant, note the Brazilian team that also emphasizes that the PA during pregnancy had no deleterious effect on neurodevelopment.
“In terms of magnitude concerning language, it is modest, the equivalent of a gain of three points of Qi, comments the neuropediatrist David Germanaud (CEA). We must also keep in mind. that these potential benefits are at the level of a population and not individual, but these results would be consistent with others, like a reduction in the risk of gestational diabetes. “Dr. Germanaud, however, stresses certain limits of the study: so The participating women are not representative of the general population, a large number has abandoned the program along the way, the significance of certain results is limit.
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