Diet, physical inactivity and the prevalence of constipation throughout and after pregnancy

Abstract

Few studies appear to have investigated the prevalence of constipation for all three trimesters of the gestative period, or indeed after birth. Using a prospective 4- to 7-day weighed food diary, International Physical Activity Questionnaire and 7-day bowel habit diary, dietary factors, physical activity levels and bowel habit parameters were assessed and examined concurrently at weeks 13, 25, 35 of pregnancy and 6 weeks post-partum. Ninety-four primiparous pregnant women were initially recruited, and 72, 59, 62 and 55 completed the first, second, third trimester and post-partum study stages, respectively. Key dietary factors and physical activity levels were compared between the constipated and non-constipated groups from each of the three trimesters and after parturition. Compared with non-constipated mothers-to-be, constipated participants consumed statistically significantly less water in the first trimester (P = 0.04), more food in the second trimester (P = 0.04), and less iron (P = 0.02) and food (P = 0.04) in the third trimester and after birth, respectively. No statistically significant differences were identified between light, moderate and vigorous physical activity levels when groups were compared. This study demonstrates that dietary factors may play a role in terms of preventing, or alleviating, bowel habit perturbations both throughout and after pregnancy. Further research is required to investigate the interrelationship between physical activity and constipation during and after pregnancy.

L-Glutamine Supplementation Alleviates Constipation during Late Gestation of Mini Sows by Modifying the Microbiota Composition in Feces

“…It has been proposed that an elevation in circulating progesterone slows gastrointestinal motility [31] and fetal growth in late pregnancy, resulting in intestinal malrotation [32]. With mechanical changes in gestation, constipation would be most likely to exert its influence in the third trimester [33]. Both in the laboratory and feedlot, pregnant sows are housed in crates.…”

Pressões retais e anais em primigestas ao defecar

“…São citados a importância do problema 5 , orientação dietética 6 , necessidade de adequada orientação médica 7 , significado da atividade física e cuidados gerais 8 , valor dos sintomas e impacto da primeira gravidez e parto nas estruturas pélvicas 9 , e as razões de acompanhar o puerpério 10 . Contudo, a complexidade da fisiologia da evacuação justifica mais estudos.…”

Estado actual del conocimiento sobre el cuidado nutricional de la mujer embarazada

“…Los factores dieté-ticos pueden desempeñar un papel importante en términos de prevenir o mitigar la sintomatología intestinal, tanto a lo largo como después del embarazo. El tratamiento de primera línea incluye aumentar la ingesta de alimentos ricos en fibra a través de la dieta o de suplementos, a fin de cubrir las recomendaciones diarias de 14g cada 1000kcal 75,77,78 . Dentro de la asistencia dietética, además del aumento en la ingesta de fibra, se debe sugerir procurar una ingesta de líquidos que cubra las demandas diarias y estimular la prác-tica regular de actividad física de baja intensidad, ya que la misma favorece la motilidad intestinal 79 .…”