Physical activity during pregnancy and intelligence in sons; A cohort study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Physical activity during pregnancy is a modifiable behavior with potential long-term effects on offspring.
• Understanding the impact of maternal lifestyle on child neurodevelopment is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal physical activity levels during pregnancy and the intelligence scores of their offspring.
• To determine if different intensities and types of physical activity (leisure-time vs. sports) influence offspring intelligence.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 4008 mother-son pairs in the Aarhus Birth Cohort, Denmark.
• Maternal physical activity assessed via self-administered questionnaires during the first trimester of pregnancy.
• Offspring intelligence measured using Børge Priens test scores from the Danish Conscription Registry.

Main Results:

• Sons of mothers with light to heavy leisure-time physical activity showed a reduced risk of low intelligence scores (aOR 0.66 and 0.46, respectively).
• Maternal engagement in sports during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of low intelligence scores in sons (aOR 0.50 for 1-2 h/wk, 0.62 for ≥3 h/wk).
• Adjustments were made for maternal factors including BMI, education, and smoking.

Conclusions:

• Higher levels of physical activity during pregnancy are associated with a decreased risk of low intelligence scores in sons.
• These findings suggest a potential protective effect of maternal exercise on offspring cognitive development.
• Further research may explore the biological mechanisms underlying this association.