Dynamic balance and mobility during pregnancy

Approximately 25 % of pregnant people fall during the course of their pregnancy. While most falls during pregnancy occur during complex, dynamic movements, prior research on balance in pregnant people has largely focused on static posture. The present study aims to investigate dynamic balance and mobility throughout gestation by examining relatively more complex movements than traditional assessments of gait and balance in pregnant people. It is the first study to quantify two common clinical tests, the tandem gait test and the Timed Up and Go test, that assess mobility and fall risk via IMUs within pregnancy.

A total of 30 pregnant people (1st trimester: n = 10, 2nd trimester: n = 10, 3rd trimester: n = 10) and 10 healthy nonpregnant control females completed a tandem gait test and the Timed Up and Go test. Time to completion and measures of movement quality such as smoothness, peak turning speed, and mediolateral sway via the root mean square of center of mass acceleration, obtained through inertial measurement units (Opal v2, APDM Inc.), were compared between groups.

Overall, pregnant individuals completed both tests slower as gestational age increased. Pregnant people also demonstrated a similar movement quality, to healthy controls, rather than maintaining movement speed.

We speculate that reduced movement speed may be a compensatory strategy used during pregnancy to safely move despite increased mass and limited thoracopelvic rotations. Altogether, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the context-dependent effects of pregnancy on dynamic balance and mobility.