Physical Exercise Cardiovascular Adaptation Monitoring in Pregnancy (PE-CAMP Study)
Condition: Pregnancy Related; Pregnant Women; Maternal-Fetal Relations
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The main theme of this study focuses on providing evidence of the impact of antenatal
      physical activity on maternal/foetal cardiovascular changes during pregnancy and maternal
      cardiovascular adaptations during the early postpartum period.
    

Detailed description: 
      Overwhelming research supports the general benefit of antenatal physical activity (APA) for
      pregnant women, but there is a lack of knowledge about the influence of exercise on
      cardiovascular physiology in healthy and overweight pregnant women and their foetuses. Also
      some research supports the theory of foetal programming; which establish that maternal habits
      during pregnancy will impact in-utero environment, so if this maternal habits are healthy
      ones they could improve foetal health.

      Cardio vascular disease (CVD) was the top cause of death all over the world in 2015. In Wales
      CVD as cause of death is still one of the top ones. However, these statistics could be
      improved if people adopt healthier lifestyle habits, since 54% and 45% of Welsh women are
      overweight/obese or sedentary respectively. Pregnancy seems to be a teachable moment for
      women and the starting point of adopting healthy life-style habits. Therefore, by introducing
      Welsh pregnant women to exercise, there is the potential to improve their health and of their
      foetuses an also exert an exponential impact on future generations.

      The main theme of this study focuses on providing evidence of the impact of APA on
      maternal/foetal cardiovascular changes during pregnancy and maternal cardiovascular
      adaptations during the early postpartum period.

      This is a 3-year study carried out in Swansea University, Singleton Hospital.

      The project leading to this application has received funding from the European Union's
      Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant
      agreement No 663830.

      Healthy pregnant women with no contraindications for exercise will be eligible for the study
      and those who want to participate in the project will be allocated into an exercise group
      (EG) or a control group (CG). EG participants will receive an intervention based on an APA
      during 20-24weeks, CG participants will follow their standard health care during pregnancy.

      All participants must attend three cardiovascular assessment protocols (18-22 weeks &
      32-36weeks during pregnancy, 12weeks postpartum). These protocols will involve
      maternal/foetal electrocardiograph and echocardiograph evaluation, heart-rate monitoring and
      moderate physical exercise (walking).
    

Intervention name(s): Exercise group
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): An antenatal physical activity (APA) programme will be designed for participants in the exercise group.
The APA will last for 20-24 weeks. Participants in the EG must enrol in the APA between their 12-16 weeks of gestation.
The APA programme has a frequency of three times a week, which involves aerobic, strength and stretching exercises. The intensity of the APA programme is individually calculated for each participant based on their pre-pregnancy fitness level. Single sessions of the APA programme last 50-60min.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The present study will involve two study groups.
Exercise group (EG). Pregnant women allocated in the EG will receive and intervention based on a supervised antenatal physical activity programme during 20-24 weeks. They must be enrolled in the study between their 12-16 weeks of gestation.
Control group (CG). Pregnant women allocated in CG will not receive any intervention. They will maintain standard health care during pregnancy.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Cardiovascular system; Antenatal physical activity; Maternal heart rate; Foetal heart rate