| Sumario: | Background & aim: Some pregnant women experience pregnancy complications that can lead to maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Pilates Exercise on maternal and newborn outcomes. Methods: In the present double-blind randomized clinical trial, outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment. Participants included 60 pregnant women who were at 20 weeks of gestation referred to the health care centers in Shahrekord, Iran. They were initially entered the study by a stratified random sampling method and then randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group were required to attend two moderate-intensity Pilates exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks. Each session lasted 30 minutes. Maternal outcomes were assessed using a self- report checklist combined with medical record review. Neonatal outcomes (including jaundice, transient tachypnea, stillbirth, and birth weight) were obtained exclusively from medical records. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23 and independent t-test, Chi square and AN OVA. Results: After the intervention, maternal outcomes such as low back pain (P=0.001), pelvic pain (P<0.001), gestational diabetes (P<0.001), transient hypertension of pregnancy (P=0.002) and urinary incontinence (P=0.013) were significantly lower in the intervention than the control group. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for any neonatal outcomes including jaundice, transient tachypnea of the newborn, stillbirth, birth weight. Conclusion: Pilates significantly improved maternal outcomes without affecting neonatal health, supporting its inclusion in prenatal education programs.
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