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Study says exercising during pregnancy may reduce chances of baby developing asthma later on
A new study published in the journal Med. It is said that exercising three or more times a week while pregnant reduces the risk of asthma in the child by about 46%. The researchers said this level of protection is equivalent to an expectant mother or father quitting smoking while pregnant. Read on to learn more about the study.
Exercising during pregnancy may reduce baby’s chances of developing asthma
A new study has found that a child’s risk of asthma can be reduced by almost half if a mother exercises regularly while pregnant. A study published in the journal Med. It is said that exercising three or more times a week while pregnant reduces the risk of asthma in the child by about 46%.
Asthma is a condition in which the airways swell and narrow. It can also cause excess mucus. This condition usually causes difficulty in breathing. It can also cause cough, difficulty breathing, and a whistling sound (wheezing) when you exhale.
According to a US News report, researchers said this level of protection is equivalent to an expectant mother or father quitting smoking while pregnant, thereby reducing exposure to cigarette smoke. The results of the new study also shed light on previous studies that have shown newborns have stronger lungs if their mothers exercised regularly during pregnancy.
“This is the first time that we are seeing an association between maternal exercise and the development of asthma in the child,” said lead investigator Emma-Rita Musakka, a doctoral student at the University of Eastern Finland.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,000 mother-child pairs in Finland. Mothers were asked whether they exercised during pregnancy and how often. The most common exercises were walking (34%), jogging (32%), strength training (29%) and group exercise classes or working out at home (22%).
The results showed that mothers whose children developed asthma worked out less than three times a week. The reduced risk of asthma associated with regular exercise persisted even after the researchers took into account other factors such as the mother’s weight, stress or illness; family exercise habits and nutrition; And even dog ownership.
“Our findings strongly suggest that maternal exercise during pregnancy has independent positive effects on the subsequent health of the fetus and child,” Musakka said in a university news release.
Senior researcher Pirkka Kirjavainen, of the University of Eastern Finland, said the results also show a new way to protect babies from asthma before birth.
“To date, avoiding cigarette smoke during pregnancy has been the only effective way to reduce the risk of asthma in a child,” Kirjavanen said. Thus, it is interesting that moderate maternal exercise during pregnancy may have as strong a protective effect on the child’s asthma risk as if one parent quit smoking.
However, the study did not indicate that increasing exercise more than three times a week would reduce asthma risk even further, the researchers said.
“The findings are very promising in terms of asthma prevention,” Kirjavanen said. It is extremely encouraging to see that by getting the appropriate amount of exercise, mothers can have a significant impact not only on their own health but also on the health of their baby.
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