11- to 15-Year-old children of women who danced during their pregnancy

Abstract

Aim: To determine whether high levels of maternal physical activity (dancing during pregnancy), influenced the offspring.

Materials and methods: Sixty-four women (32 of whom had continued to dance for at least 2 months after the beginning of pregnancy) filled in a questionnaire to assess the health and behavior of their offspring, now 11-15 years of age.

Results: More children born from women who had continued to dance during pregnancy needed to be rocked to sleep during their first year (p < 0.05). More children in the study group played musical instruments (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding other parameters.

Conclusions: The greater need to be rocked to fall asleep and the attitude to play musical instruments recorded in the children of dancers may be related to prenatal maternal movement. But they may also be due to other causes as discussed.