Moms Exercise Habits Help Children's Blood Pressure

Researchers at Michigan State University found that the exercise habits of expectant mothers could help reverse the long-standing belief that babies of low birth weight are more likely to have high blood pressure later in life. As high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, plays a key factor in cardiovascular health, this can be greatly reduced by regular aerobic activity.

"We looked at a range of normal birth weight babies, some falling at the lower end of the scale, and surprisingly we found that this lower birth weight and higher blood pressure relationship in these offspring is not supported if the women were physically active," said James Pivarnik, lead author and kinesiology professor at MSU, in a news release. "The connection was disrupted, indicating that exercise may in some way alter cardiovascular risk that occurs in utero."

For the study, researchers examined 51 women over a five-year period based on physical activity, including various activities like running or walking throughout pregnancy and post-pregnancy. During a follow up to the study, they discovered that regular exercise in a subset of the women, particularly during the third trimester, was associated with lower blood pressure in the children.

"This told us that exercise during critical developmental periods may have more of a direct effect on the baby," he said.

Furthermore, researchers discovered that the children whose mothers exercised at recommended or higher activity levels displayed significantly lower systolic blood pressure at eight to 10 years old.

"This is a good thing as it suggests that the regular exercise habits of the mother are good for heart health later in a child's life," Pivarnik said.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).