Heat does not pose a pregnancy risk (STUDY)

Pregnant women can exercise in the summer and go to the sauna or hot baths without risking the health of their unborn child, according to a recent study. It contradicts the current opinion that pregnant women should avoid high heat exposure. Physicians used to recommend to pregnant women not to expose themselves to high temperatures or do exercise that could increase their body temperature. But a recent study by the University of Exeter, which analyzed the results of 12 studies published by July 2017, confirms the opposite. Researchers reported the reaction to the core temperature of 347 women suffering from heat stress, either through exercise or passive heating, such as the use of a sauna or a hot bath. Based on recent research, specialists argue that pregnant women should avoid stress caused by heat that exceeds 39 degrees Celsius or simply exposure to warm baths or physical exercise that overstates the orgasm.

Research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that no woman had exceeded the recommended temperature limit of 39 degrees Celsius in all studies. The highest average individual temperature reported was 38. 9 degrees celsius, while the highest average temperature was 38. 3 degrees Celsius for field exercises, 37. 5 degrees Celsius for exercise in water, 36.

9 degrees Celsius for hot water baths and 37. 6 degrees celsius for exposure to the sauna. Based on these results, researchers say that pregnant women can safely engage in high-intensity aerobic exercise even for 35 minutes (at 80-90% of the maximum heart rate) at temperatures up to 25 degrees celsius . Specialists also say that pregnant women can safely participate in aqua-aerobic exercises at water temperatures ranging from 28. 8 ° C to 33.

4 ° C for up to 45 minutes and can make hot baths (40 . Specialists argued that the current guidelines do not clearly define the limits of thermal stress and can therefore discourage physical activity during pregnancy, even if both mother and child could benefit. The studies they analyzed included women at any stage of pregnancy and the responses were measured according to the intensity and duration of the exercises as well as the temperature and humidity of the environment. In some cases, a reduction in basal temperature increase was observed as pregnancy progressed, supporting the theory that thermal regulation improves during pregnancy. Although the underlying reason for this is unclear, researchers suspect it may be linked to changes in body mass and surface.

The researchers highlighted some study limitations, such as the small sample, the varied quality of the evidence, and the inconsistency in designing the study. They suggested that more research was needed to identify safe exposure and environmental limits for pregnant women who are warmer, but said their results suggest that the risk of heat stress is low.