The midwife, Mireia López Cambeiro, has defended her doctoral thesis entitled: “Effect of weight gain and physical exercise during pregnancy on the type of delivery: prospective study”. The work has been directed by the researcher of the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, Raquel Rodríguez González, together with Maria Mercedes Gonzalez Peteiro. It shows that overweight, obesity and physical inactivity in pregnant women are increasing, and consequently perinatal adverse effects.
Compliance with recommendations for weight gain, physical activity and the performance of physical exercise on the type of delivery was examined; as well as the influence of other variables. An observational longitudinal cohort study was carried out in a sample of 534 pregnant women, with three follow-up times. It has been shown that meeting weight gain recommendations or gaining less than recommended is associated with a lower risk of cesarean section, and meeting physical activity recommendations decreases the risk of induced labor. A lower than recommended gain does not imply benefits in the type of delivery. A clinical tool was developed that discriminates against women with a higher risk of induced labor and cesarean section.
