Pregnant women’s risk of delivering a baby during the first 37 weeks of pregnancy, known as preterm birth -- the primary cause of death among newborns in North America and Europe, may be reduced by vigorous activity such as jogging or bicycling.
In a study conducted between 1995 and 1998, close to 1,700 pregnant women were questioned about their leisure activity during the three months before pregnancy as well as the first and second trimesters.
Of the women questioned, 22 percent exercised vigorously before pregnancy, 14 percent during the first trimester and eight percent during the second. Vigorous activity included jogging or bicycling at a moderate to fast pace, swimming or aerobic, fast-paced dancing.
Although engaging in vigorous activity in the months before pregnancy did not influence the risk of preterm birth, those who engaged in such activity during the first and second trimesters had a lower risk. Women who exercised vigorously during the first trimester were 20 percent less likely to deliver prematurely as compared with those who did not. Those who reported vigorous activity during their second trimester reduced their risk of preterm birth by 48 percent. Such activity did not affect the incidence of late births.
Researchers suggest that women who exercise vigorously probably feel good, which may mean that their pregnancies are healthy. On the other hand, women with less healthy pregnancies may not feel good and therefore may not engage in such activity. Nonetheless, researchers say that further research is needed to confirm findings.
Epidemiology November 2002;13:653-659
It is a tragedy when a child begins his or her life at a compromised position. A baby’s chance at having a healthy life is significantly influenced by how long he or she remains in the womb and receives optimal nurturing while having time for growth.
Fortunately, the same lifestyle changes that can lead you to be healthy can also influence a woman’s ability to have a full-term pregnancy.
However, there are two factors that seem to have an especially prominent influence. One is optimizing your omega-3 fat intake and the other, as this article suggests, is to maintain an active exercise program throughout the pregnancy.
One factor to avoid, as reported earlier this month, is exposure to pesticides as this is associated with premature births. Pregnant women should also avoid pesticides because they can cause miscarriages and infertility problems for the baby later in life.
As I said earlier this year:
If the U.S. spent more money on prenatal care and reproductive services, less money and resources would be needed for babies with problems associated with premature birth. Instead of trying to cure sick babies, we should be focusing on the cause of the problem. Preventing premature births begins with promoting a healthy pregnancy and helping women carry their babies to term.
Earlier this year, the British Medical Journal confirmed the answer I discovered just two years ago: Fish oil supplements will help prevent premature births.
EPA and DHA, omega-3 fats found in fish oil, deficiency are major contributing factors to premature birth. Women who took less than 2000 mgs (2 grams) of fish oil per day were 400 percent more likely to deliver prematurely. However, women who took more than 2000 mgs of fish oil per day were 400 percent less likely to have premature deliveries.
It is important to remember that I recommend taking fish oil as a source of EPA and DHA, rather than consuming fish. Not only pregnant women but everyone should avoid fish as most fish are irreversibly contaminated with mercury. It's too bad that researchers continue to miss this incredible opportunity for promoting truth. My recommendation is to avoid eating all fish, unless you are absolutely certain that it has been tested in a laboratory and shown to not contain detectable levels of mercury and other toxins.
The U.S. doesn't have to spend billions to resolve the problem of premature births; giving fish oil to pregnant women would save billions of dollars in this area alone -- and this does not even consider the massive reductions in autism, learning disorders, ADHD, cancers, heart attacks and just about every malady known to man that would result from increasing omega-3 fat intake.
If properly dosed and of high quality, fish oil is incredibly effective. It is important to find a brand that is independently tested to ensure that it is free of mercury and other toxins. I offer Carlson’s brand fish oil on this site, as it conforms to the strictest purity guidelines.
So, don't wait 10 years for scientists to do more research just to tell you something you already know. Try taking fish oil today and see the health benefits for yourself.
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