Exercise During Pregnancy and Miscarriage Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Madsen M, Jørgensen T, Jensen ML, Juhl M, Olsen J, Andersen PK, Nybo Andersen A-M
Primary Institution: National Institute of Public Health Copenhagen K, Denmark
Hypothesis
Is there an association between leisure time physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage?
Conclusion
Exercise early in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
Supporting Evidence
- High-impact exercise was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
- Women who exercised more than 7 hours per week had a hazard ratio of 3.7 for miscarriage compared to nonexercisers.
- No association was found between exercise and miscarriage risk after 18 weeks of gestation.
- Approximately 47% of women reported exercising during pregnancy.
Takeaway
If pregnant women exercise a lot, especially with high-impact activities, it might increase the chance of losing the baby early on.
Methodology
The study used prospective data collection through interviews and analyzed the risk of miscarriage using Cox regression models.
Potential Biases
Recall bias may have affected how women reported their exercise habits after experiencing a miscarriage.
Limitations
Potential recall bias due to retrospective data collection and selection bias from case interviews.
Participant Demographics
The study included 92,671 pregnant women from Denmark, with a participation rate of about 35% of all pregnancies during the study period.
Statistical Information
P-Value
3.7
Confidence Interval
95% CI 2.9–4.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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