Effects of 8 week regular walking on the neonate in nulliparous women

Introduction: Appropriate daily physical activity is increasingly recommended during pregnancy, since a successful pregnancy and delivery are among the main pillars of health care system. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the effects of 8 weeks of regular walking on neonatal outcome of nulliparous women. Materials and Methods: This field trial was conducted on 80 healthy non-athletic, 20 to 35 years old nulliparous women, who were housewives, singleton and in their 28th of gestational week and living in Damghan. Following a repeating sampling method, participants were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group performed 8 weeks of 30-minute walks, 3 times per week, at their own pace, while the control group was only followed up. Results: There were no significant differences in weight, height, and head circumference of infants after birth between the two groups, but significant improvements were observed in the one-minute (P=0.008) and five-minute (P=0.01) Apgar scores. Also, the meconium passage was 4 times less than control (P=0.034). Conclusion: This study showed that 8 weeks of regular walking caused no growth reduction in the intervention group infants, while led to higher one-minute and five-minute Apgar scores and lower meconium discharge, thus the infants were placed in a better condition. Therefore, regular walking at one’s own pace during pregnancy is generally recommended to healthy pregnant women, because of its favorable effects on neonatal outcomes.