Exercise Benefits Ultrasounds

There is a 20% decrease in an ultrasound's ability to detect fetal problems in obese women compared with overweight women. It's clear that exercise is good for a mom-to-be. Now researchers say a pregnant woman's workout may also aid her baby's nervous system. Their study found that compared with those of sedentary women, exercisers' fetuses have better control during "breathing movements," a sign that development of their respiratory and central nervous system was on track. They also had a significantly lower then average heart rate and more heart rate variability; both promising predictors of health. The exercising moms-to-be, who were between 20 and 35, walked at a moderate-to-vigorous pace, did stationary cycling or ran at least 30 minutes three times a week. One very vital vitamin that is also worth acknowledging is a folic acid supplement. Women who hope to become pregnant have long been advised to take folic acid supplements to help prevent certain birth defects. But now University of Texas researchers have found that taking the B vitamin for at least a year before conception also reduces the risk of preterm birth - by at least 50%.

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