title: Fetal cardiotocography before and after water aerobics during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of moderate aerobic physical activity in water on fetal cardiotocography patterns in sedentary pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a non-randomized controlled trial, 133 previously sedentary pregnant women participated in multiple regular sessions of water aerobics in a heated swimming pool. Cardiotocography was performed for 20 minutes before and just after the oriented exercise. Cardiotocography patterns were analyzed pre- and post-exercise according to gestational age groups (24-27, 28-31, 32-35 and 36-40 weeks). Student's t and Wilcoxon, and McNemar tests were used, respectively, to analyze numerical and categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant variations were found between pre- and post-exercise values of fetal heart rate (FHR), number of fetal body movements (FM) or accelerations (A), FM/A ratio or the presence of decelerations. Variability in FHR was significantly higher following exercise only in pregnancies of 24-27 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate physical activity in water was not associated with any significant alterations in fetal cardiotocography patterns, which suggests no adverse effect on the fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil. cecatti@unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Belmiro G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Jose G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cecatti
authors.forename: Sergio R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cavalcante
authors.forename: Rosa I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Pereira
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2000 Dec;183(6):1484-8
references.pmid: 11120515
references.citation: Can J Appl Physiol. 2003 Jun;28(3):330-41
references.pmid: 12955862
references.citation: Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2002 Apr;77(1):79-81
references.pmid: 12053898
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1996 Jan;174(1 Pt 1):43-8
references.pmid: 8572032
references.citation: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Jul 19;(3):CD000180
references.pmid: 16855953
references.citation: Reprod Health. 2009 Jan 06;6:1
references.pmid: 19126239
references.citation: Early Hum Dev. 1997 May 28;48(3):237-47
references.pmid: 9154415
references.citation: Obstet Gynecol. 1999 Nov;94(5 Pt 1):726-9
references.pmid: 10546718
references.citation: Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1994 Apr;45(1):65-70
references.pmid: 7913067
references.citation: Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Jun;46(2):432-41
references.pmid: 12808393
references.citation: J Nurse Midwifery. 1981 Nov-Dec;26(6):3-12
references.pmid: 6914388
references.citation: Am J Perinatol. 1990 Jul;7(3):281-4
references.pmid: 2372338
references.citation: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Jun;31(6):792-9
references.pmid: 10378905
references.citation: Obstet Gynecol. 1988 Aug;72(2):225-30
references.pmid: 2455879
references.citation: Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2006 Aug;46(4):288-92
references.pmid: 16866788
references.citation: Obstet Gynecol. 1991 Mar;77(3):382-6
references.pmid: 1992404
references.citation: BJOG. 2000 May;107(5):663-8
references.pmid: 10826583
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1983 Nov 1;147(5):487-91
references.pmid: 6638090
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1988 Mar;158(3 Pt 1):481-6
references.pmid: 3348307
references.citation: Reprod Health. 2008 Nov 21;5:10
references.pmid: 19025579
references.citation: Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2007;86(5):547-52
references.pmid: 17464582
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 2003 Feb;37(1):6-12; discussion 12
references.pmid: 12547738
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002 Sep;187(3):811-6
references.pmid: 12237667
references.citation: Obstet Gynecol. 2000 Oct;96(4):565-70
references.pmid: 11004360