Adequate cardiorespiratory fitness during pregnancy for a better quality of childbirth

Abstract

Inadequate Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) during childbirth can lead to potential problems, including preterm birth, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, pain and discomfort during pregnancy, cesarean birth, and postpartum weight gain. This study aimed to assess the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness during pregnancy and the quality of childbirth. An observational analytic study with a prospective cohort design was conducted among 52 pregnant women in their third trimester of gestation. Respondents were selected based on the purposive sampling technique. The variables - cardiorespiratory fitness, indicated by VO2max value, and the quality of childbirth - were respectively measured using the six-minute walk test and the Quality Childbirth Questionnaire, modified from the Pregnancy and Childbirth Outcome Set (PCB), the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), and the Birth Satisfaction Scale (BSS), which were declared valid and reliable. Data analysis used descriptive and bivariate analysis with the Chi-Square test with a Risk Ratio (RR). The results showed a p-value of less than 0.001, confirming the hypothesis. There is a meaningful link between high VO2 max scores and improved childbirth experiences, with a RR of 6.882 at a 95% confidence interval. This suggests that pregnant women with better cardiorespiratory fitness are 6.882 times less likely to have an adverse labor and delivery outcome. Improving cardiorespiratory fitness through strategic antenatal physical activity with aerobic exercises is recommended to gain a positive childbirth experience.

Keywords

• Antenatal exercise
• cardiorespiratory fitness
• pregnant women
• physiotherapy