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Pregnancy leisure physical activity and children's neurodevelopment: a narrative review
C Álvarez-Bueno1, I Cavero-Redondo1, M Sánchez-López1,2
1Health and Social Research Center, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca, Spain.
Insights
Maternal leisure physical activity during pregnancy enhances children's general intelligence and language skills. This review examines the evidence linking prenatal exercise to cognitive development in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal health
- Neuroscience
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Growing interest in maternal physical activity during pregnancy and its impact on child neurocognitive development.
- Existing studies show varied findings, particularly regarding language skills and IQ.
- Methodological differences in physical activity assessment and cognitive testing may explain discrepancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing evidence on the effects of maternal physical activity during pregnancy on various cognitive domains in children.
- To synthesize findings from observational studies and clinical trials.
- To identify factors influencing the relationship between prenatal exercise and offspring cognition.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of observational studies and clinical trials.
- Analysis of different physical activity assessment methods.
- Evaluation of various cognitive tests used to measure child development.
Main Results:
- Leisure physical activity during pregnancy shows a positive association with offspring's general intelligence.
- Prenatal physical activity is linked to improved language skills in children.
- The amount and type of physical activity, along with assessment methods, are crucial factors.
Conclusions:
- Leisure physical activity during pregnancy is beneficial for children's general intelligence and language development.
- Further research is needed to clarify the optimal types and amounts of physical activity.
- Standardized methodologies in future studies will enhance understanding of this relationship.
Abstract:
In recent years, interest in the relation between maternal physical activity during pregnancy and children's neurocognitive development has been growing. Several observational studies and clinical trials have analysed this relation and they differ in the findings, especially for children's language-related skills and IQ. Physical activity assessment, amount of physical activity and the test used for measuring children's cognition could affect this relation, as well as other factors that should be considered. This article will review the evidence on the effects of physical activity during pregnancy on children's different cognitive domains.
Tweetable Abstract:
Leisure physical during pregnancy positively affects offspring's general intelligence and language skills.
