Effect of Antenatal Exercises on Umbilical Blood Flow and Neonate Wellbeing in Diabetic Pregnant Women

This study was conducted to determine the effects of moderate aerobic antenatal exercise on the umbilical blood flow and neonate wellbeing in Type II diabetic pregnant women. Forty multiparous pregnant women with Type II diabetes at 24 weeks' gestation were participated in this study. Their age ranged from 25-32 years old, their body mass index >30Kg/m2 and all of them were under insulin therapy. They were classified into 2 equal groups (A&B). Each patient in the study group (A) underwent moderate intensity aerobic exercise training (60% of maximum heart rate) 30 minutes, 3 times /week for 10 weeks (30 sessions) in addition to their medical treatment and advices to continue normal daily activities, while patients of the control group (B) were only follow their medical treatment and advices to continue normal daily activities. Fasting blood glucose level and umbilical artery blood flow for each patient in both groups (A&B) were evaluated before starting and after the end of the study duration (10 weeks). Also, APGAR score at 1st and 5th minutes after delivery were assessed for all neonatal infants. Results of this study revealed that moderate intensity aerobic exercise training caused statistically highly significant (P<0.001) improve in the placental blood flow through decreasing umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio and maximum systolic velocity as well as increasing its end diastolic velocity. Also, results revealed a statistically highly significant (P<0.001) decrease in blood glucose level for the exercised ladies and a statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in 1st minute Apgar scores in neonatal infants of the exercising mothers. Thus it could be concluded that aerobic exercises are effective in improving placental blood flow offering more nutrients to the fetus in Type II diabetic pregnant women.