Pregnant women may exercise both abdominal and pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy without increasing the diastasis recti abdominis: a randomised trial

Question

What is the effect of a 12-week abdominal and pelvic floor muscle exercise program during pregnancy on the inter-recti distance (IRD) in women with diastasis recti abdominis immediately after the 12-week intervention period and at follow-up 6 weeks postpartum?

Design

An exploratory, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis.

Participants

Ninety-six pregnant women aged ≥ 18 years, either primigravida or multigravida, in gestation week 24 with an IRD of ≥ 28 mm measured at rest and/or a protrusion on initial assessment.

Intervention

The experimental group participated in a 12-week abdominal and pelvic floor muscle exercise program during pregnancy. The control group received no intervention.

Outcome measures

Change (mm) in IRD 2 cm above and below the umbilicus at rest from pre-intervention to immediately post-intervention and to 6 weeks follow-up measured with ultrasonography.

Results

The IRD increased for both groups from baseline to immediately after the intervention and decreased from after the intervention to the follow-up at 6 weeks postpartum. The IRD was smallest for both groups at the follow-up. At 2 cm above the umbilicus, the intervention effect was 2 mm (95% CI –2 to 7) immediately after the intervention and –1 mm (95% CI –4 to 3) at follow-up. At 2 cm below the umbilicus, the intervention effect was –5 mm (95% CI –10 to 0) immediately after the intervention and 0 mm (95% CI –4 to 4) at follow-up.

Conclusion

Abdominal and pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy have a negligible effect on the IRD immediately after 12 weeks of intervention and at 6 weeks post-partum.

Registration

NCT04960800.