Does Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Change the Hemodynamic Responses of the Inferior Vena Cava in Pregnant Women? A...

This study was aimed at exploring the immediate impacts of pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) on various maternal physiological parameters in pregnant women.

The study included a total of 52 women, 26 pregnant (Pregnant group: 28.04±6.01 years; 26.83±3.81 kg/m²) and 26 nonpregnant (Control group: 29.42±5.73 years; 25.41±3.03 kg/m²) individuals. All women received PFME as follows: PFME was performed for 5 min (6-s holding contraction, 10 s of relaxation, 3 rapid PFM contractions). Evaluations were conducted before, immediately after, and 5 min post-exercise, with measurements including inferior vena cava (IVC) diameters and pulsatility index, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rates. Two-way analysis of variance was performed for group and time comparisons in repeated measurements.

In both groups, the IVC collapsibility index values were lower 5 min after exercise, although this decrease, although clinically significant, did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.057). Post-exercise systolic blood pressure significantly decreased in both groups, whereas diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the pregnant group (p = 0.001, p = 0.023).

The study found no statistically significant changes in the collapsibility index of the IVC after PFME but observed a clinically suggestive decrease. The clinical decrease in the collapsibility index can be interpreted as PFME in the supine position increasing venous return. Additionally, PFME was found not to alter maternal and fetal heart rates but contributed to the decrease in maternal systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Our study supports the view that the acute effects of PFME neither induce fetal stress nor pose maternal risks.