TITLE:
Fetal Hemodynamic Response to Maternal Isometric Exercise
AUTHORS:
Karina Biaggio Soares, Francisco Maximiliano Pancich Gallarreta, Walter Santos Neme
KEYWORDS:
Isometric Testing, Doppler Velocimetry, Fetal Hemodynamics, Maternal Hemodynamics
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.8 No.6,
June
4,
2018
ABSTRACT: Background: Studies on physical activity during pregnancy and its impact on mother
and fetus are still limited. International protocols consider only aerobic
exercise and fail to provide information about other modalities such as
isometric exercise. Isometric exercise promotes cardiorespiratory resistance
and muscle strengthening, but it is rarely tested on pregnant women because it
increases maternal blood pressure and can subsequently affect placental
circulation. Objective: To evaluate maternal and fetal response of
low-risk pregnant women undergoing isometric testing through a Doppler
velocimetry study. Methodology: A cross-sectional, experimental study
was performed on 46 healthy pregnant women (gestational age between 26 and 36
weeks) who underwent isometric testing. This testing was performed using a
handgrip dynamometer to measure maternal and fetal hemodynamic parameters before,
during, and after isometric testing. Results: There was a significant increase
in systolic blood pressure (BP; pre-isometrics 113.13 ± 9.92 mmHg, during
isometrics 117.13 ± 10.24 mmHg, and post-isometrics 112.43 ± 9.87 mmHg, p 0.001) and heart rate (HR; pre-isometrics 87.52 ± 14.10
bpm, during isometrics 97.61 ± 14.83 bpm, and post-isometrics 85.13 ± 13.24 bpm,
p 0.001). There were significant
decreases in the pulsatility index (PI; pre-isometrics 0.63 ± 0.15, during
isometrics 0.56 ± 0.15, and post-isometrics
0.65 ± 0.17, p = 0.001), resistance index (RI; pre-isometrics 0.44 ± 0.08,
during isometrics 0.40 ± 0.07, and post-isometrics 0.45 ± 0.08, p = 0.001), and
systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio (pre-isometrics 1.81 ± 0.26, during isometrics
1.69 ± 0.24, and post-isometrics 1.85 ± 0.29, p 0.001) of the left uterine artery (UA). These results
showed significant changes only during the isometric exercise, and not between
the pre- and post-isometric exercises. There were no significant differences in
fetal parameters when the results before, during, and after the isometric test
were compared. Conclusion: Isometric testing had no repercussions for
fetal hemodynamics in healthy low-risk pregnant women.