title: The effects of vigorous exercise during pregnancy on birth weight.
abstract: Whether or not vigorous exercise during pregnancy affects birth weight is an important issue because birth weight is the single most important determinant of neonatal mortality. A current meta-analysis of randomised trials of exercise during pregnancy did not find, although also did not exclude, a clinically important effect of exercise on birth weight. Randomised trials may miss the women exercising at the most elite levels during pregnancy. We should remain open-minded on this issue until sufficient evidence is available on which to base recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic