S'pore’s first exercise guidelines for pregnant women aim to improve health of mothers, babies

SINGAPORE – Contrary to the myth that exercising while pregnant is harmful, it can improve heart and lung function and prevent obesity, medical experts said at the launch of Singapore’s first set of exercise guidelines for expecting mothers on Friday (Jan 10).

They noted that studies showed that excessive weight and obesity were a particular problem among pregnant women here.

The guidelines, launched by Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), aim to standardise advice on exercise for pregnant women, and improve their health outcomes and those of their child.

Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor at the launch of exercise guidelines for expectant mothers, the first of its kind in Singapore, on Friday (Jan 10). Photo: Jun Yuan Yong/TODAY

The guidelines were developed by the Committee of Exercise in Pregnancy, which is made up of members of a health programme known as the Integrated Platform for Research in Advancing Metabolic Health Outcomes in Women and Children (IPRAMHO), led by KKH.

They will be distributed to all obstetricians and gynaecologists practising in Singapore within the next three months.

“Healthcare professionals who are in frequent contact with pregnant women have a part to play in encouraging pregnant mothers to exercise during their pregnancy,” said Dr Khor.

The guidelines were created in partnership with the SingHealth Polyclinics and National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, as well as the Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS), Perinatal Society of Singapore (PSS) and Exercise is Medicine Singapore (EIMS).

According to the guidelines, pregnant women should exercise for at least two and a half hours per week spread over a minimum of three days. This should involve moderate-intensity physical activity such as jogging, swimming and stationary cycling.

The guidelines also include safety precautions to take such as avoiding exercise during excessively warm weather and to be mindful of the risks associated with exercising for more than 45 minutes.

KKH senior associate executive Nur Farhana Darma, 29, who is in her second trimester told TODAY that she exercises for about 30 minutes twice a week and might exercise once more each week after hearing about how the guidelines can lead to improved health for both mother and baby.

The guidelines were developed after a study conducted from 2010 to 2014 led by KKH found that about one quarter of 724 patients from KKH were overweight during pregnancy and about 11 per cent of them were obese.

Women who are obese during pregnancy have an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and delivery complications.

Their babies also have a higher risk of being born excessively heavy at more than 4kg or stillborn.

Although most pregnant women know the benefits of exercise, almost 70 per cent of them do not engage in any moderate to vigorous exercise, according to a study led by KKH, conducted in 2019, involving 201 pregnant women aged between 20 and 44.

“A lot of pregnant women are worried that (exercising) may affect the health of the pregnancy and that they may experience bleeding after exercise or they may not gain sufficient weight,” said Dr Serene Thain Pei Ting, who is part of the Exercise in Pregnancy Committee.

Ms Goh Wei Ning Candy, 31, a senior educator at Math Monkey Enrichment, who gave birth in August last year, told TODAY that she stopped jogging during her pregnancy as she was afraid it would injure her baby. She also stopped swimming as she worried it would lead to an infection in her womb.

Moreover, only 3.2 per cent of doctors discussed the issue of exercising with most of their patients, out of the 62 doctors interviewed for another study led by KKH last year. Only 14.5 per cent of doctors initiated the discussion.

Professor Tan Kok Hian, IPRAMHO lead principal investigator, told TODAY that some doctors were “reluctant” to initiate a discussion about exercising with their patients as pregnant mothers may be afraid to exercise due to misconceptions that they would injure themselves.

Also, doctors were worried about facing legal complications if they encouraged patients to exercise and they get injured.

“With these guidelines, it can empower our doctors to be able to motivate and tell our patients about exercise (during) pregnancy,” he said.

Prof Tan also hopes that the guidelines will also help to change misconceptions that exercise is bad for a pregnancy and that they will encourage more pregnant women to exercise.