Beneficial Effects of Maternal Physical Activity during Pregnancy on Fetal, Newborn, and Child Health: Guidelines for Interventions during the Perinatal Period from the French National College of Midwives

Abstract

The objective of this work is to synthesize current knowledge about the effects of maternal physical activity during pregnancy on children's health. During the prenatal and postnatal periods, maternal physical activity has protective effects against the risks of macrosomia, obesity, and other associated cardiometabolic disorders. Even though longitudinal studies in humans are still necessary to validate them, these effects have been consistently observed in animal studies. A remarkable effect of maternal physical activity is its positive role on neurogenesis, language development, memory, and other cognitive functions related to learning.

Keywords: epigenetic; health capital; microbiota; movement; pregnancy.