Impact of prenatal physical preparation program on respiratory parameters of pregnant women

Abstract

Background/Aim: Pregnancy is a condition that alters a woman's respiratory parameters. We aimed to verify the impact of a prenatal physical preparation program on respiratory parameters of pregnant women. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 38 pregnant women over a period of 8 months. It consisted of measuring the respiratory parameters (using the New MIR Spirolab Spirometer) of pregnant women who participated in the prenatal physical preparation program. Each session lasted 45 minutes and took place once a week. The sessions involved low to moderate intensity and assessed the forced expiratory volume second, the vital capacity force, and the peak expiratory flow. Results: After the intervention program in prenatal physical preparation, there was a significant change in the vital capacity force (74 (3.65) before vs 79 (0.54) after; P=0.003); forced expiratory volume (68 (0.63) vs 76 (0.45), P=0.002); and peak expiratory (69 (1.77) before vs 78 (1.12) after; P=0.001) The Tiffeneau index showed (72.8 (4.2) vs 76.19 (13.3), P=0.001). The number of pregnant women with normal spirometry doubled from 47.4% at the start of the program to 94.7% at the end of the program. Similarly, the proportion of pregnant women with mild restriction increased from 42.1% at the start of the program to 2.6% at the end, indicating a total improvement of the obstructive disorders. Conclusion: The regular practice of physical activity allows for improvement of the respiratory parameters of pregnant women. This program must continue to enable these women to maintain their respiratory capacity after childbirth.