Exercise guidelines for gestational diabetes mellitus

Table 3 Benefits of maternal exercise for the foetus and the child

Benefits to the foetus[100-104]	Benefits to the foetus[1,58,73,104,105]
Lower heart rate response to acute maternal exercise	Lower birth weights
Increased amniotic fluids	Increased gestational ages (lower risk of preterm birth)
Increased in placenta viability and volume	Improved neurodevelopment and lower body fat percentage
Increase in vascular function	Infants have higher behaviour regulatory ability and orientation
Faster placental growth and greater villous tissue	At the age of five children have less body fat, higher general language intelligence and oral language
Higher tolerance to labour