Impact of Physical Stretching Exercise on Feto-Maternal Outcomes Among Mild Preeclamptic Pregnant Women in Egypt

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a disorder of widespread vascular endothelial malfunction and vasospasm that occurs after 20 weeks' gestation. It accounts for 22% of maternal deaths, 18% of all premature births worldwide. Recently, recommendations about exercise in pregnant women with hypertension or at risk of pre-eclampsia (PE) development have been studied with the objective of trying to reduce the deleterious effects of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, including the reduction of the incidence of PE. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of practicing self-independent physical stretching exercise by pregnant women with mild preeclampsia on their feto-maternal outcomes. Setting: The study was conducted in antenatal as well as labor units at El-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria a purposive sample of 64 pregnant women participated in the study. Three tools were used to collect the necessary data and apply: Structured Interviewing Questionnaire to collect data regarding mothers socio-demographic variables, an observational check list which includes information related to fetomaternal outcomes and an instruction guideline which includes the importance and different types of stretching physical exercise. Results of the current study illustrated that the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after practice of stretching physical exercise had a significant difference (P=0.001). The practice of stretching physical exercise during pregnancy have ranged from not practice 100% before instruction to as high as 70.3% after interventions. As regards to fetomaternal outcomes, (55.6%) of studied subjects who practice exercise delivered vaginal and majority (89.7%) of them who not practice exercise delivered cesarean section and the reason for C.S.; fetal distress (52.6%). All (100%) of the study subject who practice exercise not suffer from complications while about one half (42.1%) who not practice exercise suffer from severe preeclampsia. physical exercise did not represent a risk of the neonatal outcomes studied: low birth weight (1500-2500 g) was 4.4%, adequacy of weight (95.6%), prematurity was (8.9%) and no birth defect was (89%). It was concluded that, practice of stretching physical exercise with mild preeclampsia promote mothers feto-maternal outcomes and not produce maternal or neonatal risk than who do not practice. The physical exercise was safe and it was not harmful to mother and newborn. So, it was recommended that low risk women should be adherence to physical exercise and lifestyle changes.