Impact of exercise during pregnancy on gestational weight gain and birth weight: an overview

This article presents the state of knowledge related to the impact of exercise on gestational weight gain and birth weight.

Birth weight is an important indicator of intrauterine environment and maternal and newborn health. There are several factors that can affect birth weight including mother's pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI), gestational weight gain, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), chronic diabetes and gestational age at birth.

Physical exercise has the potential to prevent excessive gestational weight gain, GDM and the potential complications associated with obesity during pregnancy. Therefore, women who regularly exercise during pregnancy are more likely to have an appropriate gestational weight gain and in turn, an appropriate birth weight infant, preventing being LGA without increasing risk of SGA, and this reduces risk factors for later life chronic disease development in the child including cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes.

It would be advisable to promote compliance with physical activity and exercise recommendations during pregnancy by using the specific resources to prescribe exercise to pregnant women without obstetric contraindications.