1 1134 100 EFFICACY OF YOGA IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH ABNORMAL DOPPLER STUDY OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON THE OUTCOME OF COMPLICATED PREGNANCY, 121 WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINIC AT GUNASHEELA SURGICAL AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL (GSMH) IN BANGALORE, INDIA, WERE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18-20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN A PROSPECTIVE, MATCHED, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. SIXTY-EIGHT WOMEN WERE IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 53 WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. WOMEN WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, GRAVIDA AND DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SCORES OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. YOGA PRACTICES INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION WERE PRACTISED BY THE YOGA GROUP, ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO THE STUDY UNTIL DELIVERY. THE CONTROL GROUP WALKED HALF AN HOUR TWICE A DAY DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. COMPLIANCE IN BOTH THE GROUPS WAS ENSURED. IN BABIES THE BIRTH-WEIGHT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.018) IN THE YOGA GROUP (2.78 +/- 0.52 KG), COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (2.55 +/- 0.52 KG). OCCURRENCE OF COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY (PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION, INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION, PRE-TERM DELIVERY) SHOWS LOWER TRENDS IN YOGA GROUP. 2005 2 1136 79 EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. DESIGN AND SETTING: THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE (335) WOMEN ATTENDING THE ANTENATAL CLINIC AT GUNASHEELA SURGICAL AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN BANGALORE, INDIA, WERE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18 AND 20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN A PROSPECTIVE, MATCHED, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY; 169 WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 166 WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: WOMEN WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, PARITY, BODY WEIGHT, AND DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SCORES OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. YOGA PRACTICES, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION WERE PRACTICED BY THE YOGA GROUP ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO THE STUDY UNTIL DELIVERY. THE CONTROL GROUP WALKED 30 MINUTES TWICE A DAY (STANDARD OBSTETRIC ADVICE) DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. COMPLIANCE IN BOTH GROUPS WAS ENSURED BY FREQUENT TELEPHONE CALLS AND STRICT MAINTENANCE OF AN ACTIVITY DIARY. MAIN OUTCOMES: BIRTH WEIGHT AND GESTATIONAL AGE AT DELIVERY WERE PRIMARY OUTCOMES. RESULTS: THE NUMBER OF BABIES WITH BIRTH WEIGHT > OR = 2500 GRAMS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.01) IN THE YOGA GROUP. PRETERM LABOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (P < 0.0006) IN THE YOGA GROUP. COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS ISOLATED INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION (IUGR) (P < 0.003) AND PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH) WITH ASSOCIATED IUGR (P < 0.025) WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA DURING PREGNANCY IS SAFE. IT IMPROVES BIRTH WEIGHT, DECREASES PRETERM LABOR, AND DECREASES IUGR EITHER IN ISOLATION OR ASSOCIATED WITH PIH, WITH NO INCREASED COMPLICATIONS. 2005 3 1994 18 STANDARDIZATION OF SULAHARAN YOGA: AN AYURVEDIC TABLET FORMULATION. QUALITY ASSURANCE OF HERBAL PRODUCTS MAY BE ENSURED BY PROPER QUALITY CONTROL OF THE HERBAL INGREDIENTS AND BY MEANS OF GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE. WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SIMPLE SCHEME FOR THE STANDARDIZATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF SULAHARAN YOGA A POLY HERBAL FORMULATION. SULAHARAN YOGA WAS PREPARED AS PER AYURVEDIC FORMULARY OF INDIA. IN-HOUSE AND MARKETED PREPARATION HAS BEEN STANDARDIZED ON THE BASIS OF ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERS, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES. THE SET PARAMETERS WERE FOUND TO BE SUFFICIENT TO STANDARDIZE THE SULAHARAN YOGA AND CAN BE USED AS REFERENCE STANDARDS FOR THE QUALITY CONTROL/ QUALITY ASSURANCE STUDY. 2011 4 2169 35 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: WHILE PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN NORMAL PREGNANCIES, THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES FOR THE FIRST TIME. METHODS: 68 HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO MATERNITY HOSPITALS IN BENGALURU, INDIA AND WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP (N=30) RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS ONE-HOUR YOGA SESSIONS, THREE TIMES A WEEK, FROM THE 12TH TO THE 28TH WEEK OF GESTATION. THE CONTROL GROUP (N=38) RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS CONVENTIONAL ANTENATAL EXERCISES (WALKING) DURING THE SAME PERIOD. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH), PREECLAMPSIA, GESTATIONAL DIABETES (GDM) AND INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION (IUGR) CASES WERE OBSERVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P=0.018, 0.042, 0.049, 0.05 RESPECTIVELY). SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE (SGA) BABIES AND NEWBORNS WITH LOW APGAR SCORES (P=0.006) WERE BORN IN THE YOGA GROUP (P=0.033). CONCLUSION: THIS FIRST RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN POTENTIALLY BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPY IN REDUCING HYPERTENSIVE RELATED COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND IMPROVING FETAL OUTCOMES. ADDITIONAL DATA IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE RESULTS AND BETTER EXPLAIN THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA. 2012 5 765 38 EFFECT OF THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY ON PLATELET COUNT AND URIC ACID IN PREGNANCY: A MULTICENTER STRATIFIED RANDOMIZED SINGLE-BLIND STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA IMPROVES MATERNAL AND FETAL OUTCOMES IN PREGNANCY. PLATELET COUNT AND URIC ACID (UA) ARE VALUABLE SCREENING MEASURES IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. AIM: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PLATELET COUNTS AND SERUM UA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STRATIFIED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, CONDUCTED BY S-VYASA UNIVERSITY AT ST. JOHN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL AND GUNASHEELA MATERNITY HOSPITAL, RECRUITED 68 WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY (30 YOGA AND 38 CONTROLS) IN THE TWELFTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY. THE INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE: BAD OBSTETRICS HISTORY, TWIN PREGNANCIES, MATERNAL AGE < 20 OR > 35 YEARS, OBESITY (BMI > 30), AND GENETIC HISTORY OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS. THOSE WITH NORMAL PREGNANCY, ANEMIA (< 10 GRAMS%DL), H/O CLOTTING DISORDERS; RENAL, HEPATIC OR HEART DISEASE; SEIZURE DISORDER; OR STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES IN THE PELVIS, WERE EXCLUDED. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED SIMPLE MEDITATIVE YOGA (THREE DAYS / WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS). RESULTS: AT BASELINE, ALL WOMEN HAD NORMAL PLATELET COUNTS (> 150X10(9)/L) WITH A DECREASE AS PREGNANCY ADVANCED. UA (NORMAL AT BASELINE) INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. NO ONE DEVELOPED ABNORMAL THROMBOCYTOPENIA OR HYPERURICEMIA. HEALTHY REDUCTION IN PLATELET COUNT (TWELFTH TO TWENTIETH WEEK) OCCURRED IN A HIGHER (P < 0.001, CHI(2) TEST) NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. A SIMILAR TREND WAS FOUND IN URIC ACID. SIGNIFICANTLY LESSER NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP (N = 3) DEVELOPED PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH) / PRE-ECLAMPSIA (PE) THAN THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 12), WITH ABSOLUTE RISK REDUCTION (ARR) BY 21%. CONCLUSION: ANTENATAL INTEGRATED YOGA FROM THE TWELFTH WEEK IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING A HEALTHY PROGRESSION OF PLATELETS AND URIC ACID IN WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY, POINTING TO HEALTHY HEMODILUTION AND BETTER PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION. 2013 6 1092 33 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON UTERO-FETAL-PLACENTAL CIRCULATION IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION. IMPAIRED PLACENTATION AND INADEQUATE TROPHOBLAST INVASION HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE ETIOLOGY OF MANY PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND HAVE BEEN CORRELATED WITH THE FIRST TRIMESTER UTERINE ARTERY RESISTANCE. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PREGNANCY OUTCOMES AND THOSE OF YOGIC VISUALIZATION IN REVITALIZING THE HUMAN TISSUES. METHODS. 59 HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N = 27) AND CONTROL (N = 32) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS YOGA SESSIONS (1 HOUR/DAY, 3 TIMES/WEEK), FROM 12TH TO 28TH WEEK OF GESTATION. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS CONVENTIONAL ANTENATAL EXERCISES (WALKING). MEASUREMENTS WERE ASSESSED AT 12TH, 20TH, AND 28TH WEEKS OF GESTATION. RESULTS. RM-ANOVA SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER VALUES IN THE YOGA GROUP (28TH WEEK) FOR BIPARIETAL DIAMETER (P = 0.001), HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE (P = 0.002), FEMUR LENGTH (P = 0.005), AND ESTIMATED FETAL WEIGHT (P = 0.019). THE RESISTANCE INDEX IN THE RIGHT UTERINE ARTERY (P = 0.01), UMBILICAL ARTERY (P = 0.011), AND FETAL MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERY (P = 0.048) SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IMPEDANCE IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION. THE RESULTS OF THIS FIRST RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY SUGGEST THAT GUIDED YOGIC PRACTICES AND VISUALIZATION CAN IMPROVE THE INTRAUTERINE FETAL GROWTH AND THE UTERO-FETAL-PLACENTAL CIRCULATION. 2015 7 2116 26 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLER INDICES, MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS IN PREGNANT WOMEN: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: TODAY, THE EFFECT OF YOGA HAS BEEN EXAMINED ON VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF PREGNANT WOMEN. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL SPARSE STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE UTERINE ARTERY INDICES AS WELL AS MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLER INDICES, MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS QUASI-EXPERIENTIAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, ON 100 PREGNANT WOMEN. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, THE PARTICIPANTS EXERCISED YOGA FOR 1 H. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED ROUTINE CARE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT IN THE YOGA GROUP, THE FUNCTIONAL INDICES OF THE UTERINE ARTERY (S/D, PI, RI, AND DN) IMPROVED MORE SIGNIFICANTLY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL (P = 0.01). THE RESULTS ALSO SHOWED THAT IN THE YOGA GROUP, MATERNAL COMPLICATIONS (DIABETES AND PREECLAMPSIA), AS WELL AS FETAL COMPLICATIONS (SAG, IUGR), WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER COMPARED TO THE CONTROL (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY REVEALED THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IMPROVING FETAL DEVELOPMENT INDICES AND REDUCING MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING PREGNANCY. IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY ALONGSIDE OTHER TREATMENTS FOR MOTHERS. 2021 8 267 40 ACUTE FETAL BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE TO PRENATAL YOGA: A SINGLE, BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (TRY YOGA). BACKGROUND: IN 2012, YOGA WAS PRACTICED BY 20 MILLION AMERICANS, OF WHOM 82% WERE WOMEN. A RECENT LITERATURE REVIEW ON PRENATAL YOGA NOTED A REDUCTION IN SOME PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS (IE, PRETERM BIRTH, LUMBAR PAIN, AND GROWTH RESTRICTION) IN THOSE WHO PRACTICED YOGA; TO DATE, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE ON FETAL RESPONSE AFTER YOGA. OBJECTIVES: WE AIMED TO CHARACTERIZE THE ACUTE CHANGES IN MATERNAL AND FETAL RESPONSE TO PRENATAL YOGA EXERCISES USING COMMON STANDARDIZED TESTS TO ASSESS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MATERNAL-FETAL UNIT. STUDY DESIGN: WE CONDUCTED A SINGLE, BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. UNCOMPLICATED PREGNANCIES BETWEEN 28 0/7 AND 36 6/7 WEEKS WITH A NONANOMALOUS SINGLETON FETUS OF WOMEN WHO DID NOT SMOKE, USE NARCOTICS, OR HAVE PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA WERE INCLUDED. A COMPUTER-GENERATED SIMPLE RANDOMIZATION SEQUENCE WITH A 1:1 ALLOCATION RATIO WAS USED TO RANDOMIZE PARTICIPANTS INTO THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 1-TIME, 1 HOUR YOGA CLASS WITH A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR WHO TAUGHT A PREDETERMINED YOGA SEQUENCE. IN THE CONTROL GROUP, EACH PARTICIPANT ATTENDED A 1-TIME, 1 HOUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION BY AN OBSTETRICIAN ON AMERICAN CONGRESS OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXERCISE, NUTRITION, AND OBESITY IN PREGNANCY. ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION TESTING, WHICH CONSISTED OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLER ULTRASOUND, NONSTRESS TESTING, A BIOPHYSICAL PROFILE, MATERNAL BLOOD PRESSURE, AND MATERNAL HEART RATE. A BOARD-CERTIFIED MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST, AT A DIFFERENT TERTIARY CENTER, INTERPRETED ALL NONSTRESS TESTS AND BIOPHYSICAL PROFILE DATA AND WAS BLINDED TO GROUP ASSIGNMENT AND PRE- OR POSTINTERVENTION TESTING. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS A CHANGE IN UMBILICAL ARTERY DOPPLER SYSTOLIC TO DIASTOLIC RATIO. SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATIONS INDICATED 19 WOMEN PER GROUP WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO DETECT THIS DIFFERENCE IN DOPPLER INDICES (ALPHA, 0.05; POWER, 80%). DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, A CHI(2), AND A FISHER EXACT TEST. A VALUE OF P < .05 WAS CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: OF THE 52 WOMEN RANDOMIZED, 46 (88%) COMPLETED THE STUDY. THERE WAS NO CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN UMBILICAL ARTERY SYSTOLIC TO DIASTOLIC RATIO (P = .34), PULSATILITY INDEX (P = .53), OR RESISTANCE INDEX (P = .66) BETWEEN THE 2 GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. FETAL AND MATERNAL HEART RATE, MATERNAL BLOOD PRESSURE, AND UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLERS REMAINED UNCHANGED OVER TIME. WHEN UMBILICAL ARTERY INDICES WERE INDIVIDUALLY COMPARED WITH GESTATIONAL AGE REFERENCES, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO IMPROVED OR WORSENED BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN FETAL BLOOD FLOW ACUTELY AFTER PERFORMING YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PREGNANCY. YOGA CAN BE RECOMMENDED FOR LOW-RISK WOMEN TO BEGIN DURING PREGNANCY. 2016 9 888 24 EFFECT OF YOGA VERSUS LIGHT EXERCISE TO IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN CENTRAL INDIA: A STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: AGING IS A NATURAL PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH MANY FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES. THESE CHANGES MAY INCLUDE IMPAIRED SELF-REGULATION, CHANGES IN TISSUES AND ORGANS. AGING ALSO AFFECTS MOOD, PHYSICAL STATUS AND SOCIAL ACTIVITY. THERE ARE ADVERSE CHANGES IN COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR, PERCEIVED SENSATION AND THINKING PROCESSES. REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CAN ALLEVIATE MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS; YET, MANY OLDER ADULTS ARE INACTIVE. YOGA IS ONE OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND POPULAR LIFESTYLE PRACTICE CONSIDERED AS THE INTEGRATION OF MIND, BODY AND SOUL. RESULTS OF PREVIOUS STUDIES REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MULTIPLE HEALTH OUTCOMES IN ELDERLY. HOWEVER, THERE IS SCARCITY OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION WHERE YOGA'S EFFECT IS EXAMINED ON OVER WELL-BEING AND ON MULTIPLE HEALTH OUTCOMES SIMULTANEOUSLY IN ELDERLY. THIS PROTOCOL DESCRIBES METHODS FOR A 12-WEEK YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON WELL-BEING IN PHYSICALLY INACTIVE ELDERLY LIVING IN COMMUNITY. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: THIS TWO GROUP PARALLEL SINGLE BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL THAT WILL BE CONDUCTED AT A DESIGNATED FACILITY OF R.D. GARDI MEDICAL COLLEGE, UJJAIN, MADHYA PRADESH, CENTRAL INDIA. A 12-WEEK 60-MIN YOGA INTERVENTION THREE TIMES WEEKLY IS DESIGNED. COMPARISON GROUP PARTICIPANTS WILL UNDERGO A 60-MIN PROGRAM COMPRISING LIGHT EXERCISE FOCUSING ON CONVENTIONAL STRETCHING TO IMPROVE MOBILITY. AFTER SCREENING, 144 PARTICIPANTS AGED 60-80 YEARS WILL BE RECRUITED. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME IS SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDE MOBILITY, FALL RISK, COGNITION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, MOOD AND STRESS, SLEEP QUALITY, PAIN, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR AND CARDIO-METABOLIC RISK FACTORS. ASSESSMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE (0 WEEK), AFTER THE INTERVENTION (12+1 WEEK) AND AT FOLLOW-UP (36+1 WEEK). INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSES WITH MIXED LINEAR MODELING WILL BE APPLIED. DISCUSSION: THROUGH THIS TRIAL, WE AIM TO DETERMINE WHETHER ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP PRACTICING YOGA SHOW MORE FAVORABLE PRIMARY (WELL-BEING) AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES THAN THOSE IN THE LIGHT EXERCISE FOCUSING ON CONVENTIONAL STRETCHING GROUP. WE ASSUME THAT YOGA MAY BE PRACTICED TO MAINTAIN HEALTH, REDUCE PARTICULAR SYMPTOMS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SKELETAL PAIN, ASSIST IN PAIN RELIEF AND ENHANCE WELL-BEING. WE ANTICIPATE THAT PRACTICING YOGA WILL IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH AND MAY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN DEPRESSION, PAIN AND SLEEP QUALITY.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: THIS STUDY IS APPROVED BY THE INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE OF R.D. GARDI MEDICAL COLLEGE, UJJAIN, IEC REF NO. 09/2018. ALL PARTICIPANTS WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH WRITTEN AND VERBAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT AND WOULD BE FREE TO WITHDRAW FROM THE STUDY AT ANY TIME. REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY WOULD NOT HAVE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE INFORMATION OF EACH PARTICIPANT WOULD BE ENSURED. KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED WOULD BE DISSEMINATED TO STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, MEETINGS AND RELEVANT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THE TRIAL IS PROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED WITH THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH TRIAL REGISTRY CTRI/2018/07/015051. 2019 10 2523 28 YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: A REVIEW. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW ARTICLE IS TO EVALUATE THE PERIPARTUM OUTCOMES OF YOGA DURING PREGNANCY, INCLUDING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD AND LACTATION. THE PUBMED DATABASE WAS ANALYZED FROM JANUARY 1970 TO JANUARY 2011. WE IDENTIFIED FIVE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES (N = 575) AND THREE RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS (RCTS; N = 298), WHICH WERE ANALYZED SEPARATELY. THE NONRANDOMIZED TRIALS INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN RATES OF PRETERM LABOR (P < 0.0006), INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION (P <0.003), LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (P < 0.01), PREGNANCY DISCOMFORTS (P = 0.01), AND PERCEIVED SLEEP DISTURBANCES (P = 0.03) IN THOSE WHO PRACTICED YOGA DURING PREGNANCY. RESULTS OF THE RCTS INDICATED THAT DOING YOGA DURING PREGNANCY CAN SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER PAIN AND DISCOMFORT (P < 0.05) AND PERCEIVED STRESS (P = 0.001) AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PHYSICAL DOMAINS (P = 0.001). ALL THREE RCTS WERE POORLY COMPLIANT WITH THE CONSOLIDATED STANDARD OF REPORTING TRIALS STATEMENT. WHILE AWAITING AN APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED RCT TO DETERMINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA DURING PREGNANCY, IT REMAINS A VIABLE EXERCISE OPTION. 2012 11 1003 34 EFFECTS OF MATERNITY YOGA ON THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DURING PREGNANCY. AIM: TO ELUCIDATE THE CHANGES IN THE DAILY VARIATION SEEN IN THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DURING PREGNANCY BROUGHT ABOUT BY MATERNITY YOGA AND TO EVALUATE HOW MATERNAL YOGA AFFECTS STRESS AND SLEEP. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE, LONGITUDINAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED BETWEEN JANUARY 2013 AND DECEMBER 2014. PREGNANT WOMEN WHO WERE ATTENDING MATERNITY YOGA CLASSES AT PALMORE HOSPITAL BETWEEN 20 AND 23 WEEKS' GESTATION WERE ENROLLED AS THE YOGA GROUP, AND A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP WAS ALSO ENROLLED. STUDY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES, INCLUDING A PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND SLEEP LOGS, DURING THEIR SECOND AND THIRD TRIMESTERS. HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND SALIVARY ALPHA-AMYLASE LEVELS WERE EVALUATED AS STRESS INDICES AT 20-23 WEEKS' GESTATION, 28-31 WEEKS' GESTATION AND 36-40 WEEKS' GESTATION. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 38 WOMEN WERE IN THE YOGA GROUP, WITH 53 IN THE CONTROL GROUP. AT 28-31 WEEKS' GESTATION, HEART RATE VARIABILITY DURING NIGHT AND LATE-NIGHT PERIODS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. AT 36-40 WEEKS' GESTATION, VARIABILITY BETWEEN THE MORNING, AFTERNOON AND LATE NIGHT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP. SALIVARY ALPHA-AMYLASE LEVELS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER PRACTICING YOGA DURING ALL EVALUATION PERIODS IN THE YOGA GROUP. NIGHT-TIME SLEEP DURATION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PRACTICING YOGA ACTIVATES THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DURING THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY, CONSOLIDATING SLEEP DURING THE NIGHT AND DECREASING ALPHA-AMYLASE LEVELS, WHICH INDICATES REDUCED STRESS. 2018 12 2524 23 YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: EFFECTS ON MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM DURING PREGNANCY, ON MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN, AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. A RANDOMIZED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED USING 74-PRIMIGRAVID THAI WOMEN WHO WERE EQUALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL). THE YOGA PROGRAM INVOLVED SIX, 1-H SESSIONS AT PRESCRIBED WEEKS OF GESTATION. A VARIETY OF INSTRUMENTS WERE USED TO ASSESS MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF MATERNAL COMFORT DURING LABOR AND 2H POST-LABOR, AND EXPERIENCED LESS SUBJECT EVALUATED LABOR PAIN THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN EACH GROUP, PAIN INCREASED AND MATERNAL COMFORT DECREASED AS LABOR PROGRESSED. NO DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND, BETWEEN THE GROUPS, REGARDING PETHIDINE USAGE, LABOR AUGMENTATION OR NEWBORN APGAR SCORES AT 1 AND 5 MIN. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SHORTER DURATION OF THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR, AS WELL AS THE TOTAL TIME OF LABOR. 2008 13 2246 32 THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN: A ONE-YEAR CONTROLLED STUDY. NINETY CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION OF MILD, MODERATE AND SEVERE DEGREE WERE SELECTED FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN BANGALORE, INDIA. FORTY-FIVE CHILDREN UNDERWENT YOGIC TRAINING FOR ONE ACADEMIC YEAR (5 H IN EVERY WEEK) WITH AN INTEGRATED SET OF YOGIC PRACTICES, INCLUDING BREATHING EXERCISES AND PRANAYAMA, SITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYANAMASKAR, YOGASANAS AND MEDITATION. THEY WERE COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGIC TRAINING WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF 45 MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN MATCHED FOR CHRONOLOGICAL AGE, SEX, IQ, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND SOCIO ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND WHO WERE NOT EXPOSED TO YOGA TRAINING BUT CONTINUED THEIR USUAL SCHOOL ROUTINE DURING THAT PERIOD. THERE WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE IQ AND SOCIAL ADAPTATION PARAMETERS IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THIS STUDY SHOWS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN. 1989 14 688 36 EFFECT OF ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, ON THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY AND PREGNANCY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: DELIVERING A CHILD IS A VERY STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE FOR WOMEN. PREGNANCY AND LABOR ENTAIL COMPLEX EVENTS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL FEMALE. THE MANAGEMENT OF LABOR PAIN IS OFTEN DONE USING ANALGESICS AND ANESTHESIA, WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE SOME SIDE EFFECTS. MORE COMPREHENSIVE DATA ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE FOR CLINICIANS TO CONFIDENTLY PRESCRIBE EXERCISES TO PATIENTS. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, ON THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY, AND PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. METHODS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 200 PRIMIPAROUS SUBJECTS (AGED 20-40). A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS PROVIDED TO THE SUBJECTS TO OBTAIN THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC AND OBSTETRICAL INFORMATION 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY, AND THEIR HOSPITAL RECORDS WERE ALSO ASSESSED FOR FURTHER DETAILS. BASED ON THE NATURE AND DETAILS OBTAINED FOR THE ANTENATAL EXERCISES, SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: CONTROL AND EXERCISE. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE NEED FOR LABOR INDUCTION, SELF-PERCEIVED PAIN AND PERCEIVED EXERTION DURING LABOR, DURATION AND NATURE OF THE DELIVERY, NEWBORN INFANT WEIGHT, MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN, HISTORY OF BACK PAIN, AND POST-PARTUM RECOVERY. THE TOTAL MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN (IN KILOGRAMS) WAS CALCULATED FROM WEIGHT AT 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY MINUS THE WEIGHT AT 12-14 WEEKS OF GESTATION. BACK PAIN DURING PREGNANCY AND SELF-PERCEIVED LABOR PAIN WERE MEASURED USING A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS). THE OVERALL PERCEIVED EXERTION DURING LABOR WAS MEASURED USING AN ADAPTED BORG SCALE FOR PERCEIVED EFFORT. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS WHO FOLLOWED REGULAR ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES OF CESAREAN SECTION, LOWER WEIGHT GAIN, HIGHER NEWBORN INFANT WEIGHT, LOWER PAIN AND OVERALL DISCOMFORT DURING LABOR, LOWER BACK PAIN THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY, AND EARLIER POST-PARTUM RECOVERY COMPARED TO THOSE WHO DID NO SPECIFIC EXERCISES OR ONLY WALKED DURING PREGNANCY. CONCLUSIONS: THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY SHOWED THAT REGULAR ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, RESULT IN BETTER OUTCOMES RELATED TO THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY, AND PREGNANCY. THESE RESULTS NOTABLY INDICATED THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD BE ACTIVE THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY AND FOLLOW A SUPERVISED EXERCISE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES YOGA UNLESS CONTRAINDICATED. WE REQUIRE FURTHER LARGE-SCALE PROSPECTIVE STUDIES AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS TO CONFIRM THE OBSERVED FINDINGS. 2020 15 2671 24 YOGA IN PREGNANCY: AN EXAMINATION OF MATERNAL AND FETAL RESPONSES TO 26 YOGA POSTURES. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE ACUTE MATERNAL AND FETAL EFFECTS OF YOGA POSTURES AND SUSPECTED CONTRAINDICATED POSTURES IN A PROSPECTIVE COHORT OF HEALTHY PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER. METHODS: THIS WAS A PROSPECTIVE STUDY THAT EVALUATED PREGNANT WOMEN BETWEEN 35 0/7 AND 37 6/7 WEEKS OF GESTATION IN A ONE-ON-ONE YOGA SESSION. A BASELINE NONSTRESS TEST, VITAL SIGNS, AND PULSE OXIMETRY WERE PERFORMED. PARTICIPANTS THEN ASSUMED 26 YOGA POSTURES. VITAL SIGNS, PULSE OXIMETRY, TOCOMETRY, AND CONTINUOUS FETAL HEART RATE MONITORING WERE OBTAINED IN EACH POSTURE. POSTSESSION NONSTRESS TEST, VITAL SIGNS, AND PULSE OXIMETRY WERE OBTAINED. PARTICIPANTS WERE CONTACTED 24 HOURS POSTSESSION. RESULTS: TWENTY-FIVE HEALTHY PREGNANT WOMEN WERE EVALUATED. TEN REPORTED REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE, EIGHT WERE FAMILIAR WITH YOGA, AND SEVEN HAD NO YOGA EXPERIENCE. YOGA GROUPS WERE SIMILAR IN AGE, RACE, BODY MASS INDEX, GESTATIONAL AGE, AND PARITY. PRESESSION AND POSTSESSION NONSTRESS TESTS WERE REACTIVE. PRESESSION AND POSTSESSION DATA SHOWED NO CHANGE IN MATERNAL HEART RATE, TEMPERATURE, PULSE OXIMETRY, OR FETAL HEART RATE. DURING THE 26 YOGA POSTURES, VITAL SIGNS, PULSE OXIMETRY, AND UTERINE TOCOMETRY REMAINED NORMAL IN ALL WOMEN AND IN ALL POSTURES. THE FETAL HEART RATE ACROSS ALL 26 POSTURES WAS NORMAL. THERE WERE NO FALLS OR INJURIES DURING THE TOTAL CUMULATIVE 650 POSES. NO PARTICIPANTS REPORTED DECREASED FETAL MOVEMENT, CONTRACTIONS, LEAKAGE OF FLUID, OR VAGINAL BLEEDING IN THE 24-HOUR FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSION: ALL 26 YOGA POSTURES WERE WELL-TOLERATED WITH NO ACUTE ADVERSE MATERNAL PHYSIOLOGIC OR FETAL HEART RATE CHANGES. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. 2015 16 1797 35 PRENATAL YOGA: EFFECTS ON ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT PRENATAL YOGIC EXERCISES ARE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING LABOR PAIN AND IMPROVING BIRTH OUTCOMES, BY COMPARING PREGNANT WOMEN UNDERTAKING YOGA WITH A CONTROL GROUP. TRIAL DESIGN: SINGLE BLINDED, PARALLEL RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. METHODS: TWO HUNDRED PRIMIGRAVID WOMEN OF 30 WEEKS OF GESTATION ONWARD WHO MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA (PRIMIGRAVIDA, 20-35 YEARS OF AGE, GESTATIONAL AGE OF 30 WEEKS, NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE OF YOGA) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO STUDY (N = 100) AND CONTROL GROUPS (N = 100) BY USING THE MINIMIZED RANDOMIZATION PROGRAM VERSION 2.01. THE STUDY GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION IN THE FORM OF INTEGRATED YOGA CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF 30-MIN PRACTICE SESSIONS AT THE 30TH, 32ND, 34TH, 36TH, 37TH, 38TH, AND 39TH WEEKS OF GESTATIONAL AGE. THE MATCHED CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PERFORM YOGA. THE PATIENTS WERE FOLLOWED TILL DELIVERY FOR MATERNAL COMFORT, ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN, AND BIRTH OUTCOME. ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN WAS ASSESSED BY USING NUMERICAL PAIN INTENSITY SCALE (NPIS), PAIN BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONAL SCALE (PBOS), AND MATERNAL DELIVERY COMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE. ONLY THE ASSESSORS WERE BLINDED. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO 100 EACH IN CASE AND CONTROL GROUPS. FINAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE ON 75 PATIENTS IN EACH GROUP AFTER EXCLUSION DUE TO DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLICATIONS, LOSS TO FOLLOW-UP. THE REQUIREMENT OF INDUCTION OF LABOR AND ANALGESICS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN THE STUDY GROUP (P < 0.044, P < 0.045). THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NUMBER OF NORMAL VAGINAL DELIVERIES (P < 0.037) AND LESS CAESAREAN SECTIONS (P < 0.048), SHORTER FIRST STAGE OF LABOR (P < 0.0003) IN THE STUDY GROUP PRACTICING YOGA. THE TOLERANCE OF PAIN WAS BETTER IN THE STUDY GROUP AS SHOWN BY NPIS (P < 0.001) AND PBOS SCORES (P < 0.0001). POSTPARTUM, THE MATERNAL COMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE SCORE SHOWED HIGHER COMFORT IN THE STUDY GROUP (P < 0.032). THE NUMBER OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN THE STUDY GROUP (P < 0.042). THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOGA IS A NONINVASIVE, EASY TO LEARN MIND-BODY MEDICINE AND COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH PRACTICE, EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATION OF LABOR PAIN AND POSSIBLY IMPROVING BIRTH OUTCOME. 2018 17 1257 30 FETAL AND MATERNAL RESPONSES TO YOGA IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER. OBJECTIVE: THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE MATERNAL AND FETAL RESPONSES TO A TYPICAL, MODERATE-INTENSITY YOGA SESSION IN HEALTHY PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE THIRD TRIMESTER USING CONTINUOUS MONITORING.METHODS: THIS PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY IN LOW-RISK, PREGNANT WOMEN USED THE MONICA AN24 ABDOMINAL ECG WIRELESS MATERNAL-FETAL MONITOR TO MEASURE FETAL HEART RATE, MATERNAL HEART RATE, AND UTERINE ACTIVITY DURING A PRENATAL YOGA SESSION. SESSIONS INCLUDED 4 TIME PERIODS: (1) 20-MINUTE REST, (2) 50 MINUTES STANDARD PRENATAL YOGA, (3) 10-MINUTE MEDITATION, (4) 20-MINUTE RECOVERY. DATA WERE CONTINUOUSLY RECORDED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SESSION, STORED AT 0.25-SECOND INTERVALS, AND THEN AVERAGED OVER 5-MINUTE INTERVALS. TO EVALUATE CHANGES OVER TIME, OVERALL MEANS FOR THE FOUR TIME PERIODS (REST, YOGA, MEDITATION, RECOVERY) WERE COMPARED USING ONE-WAY ANOVA WITH REPEATED MEASURES. POST-HOC PAIRWISE COMPARISONS (TUKEY'S) WERE USED TO PROBE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FOUR TIME POINTS. STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE WAS REACHED AT P < .05.RESULTS: TWENTY PARTICIPANTS WERE ENROLLED; 19 COMPLETED THE YOGA SESSION. MEAN GESTATIONAL AGE WAS 35 WEEKS AND 6 DAYS (RANGE OF 32-0/7 TO 38-6/7) WITH AN AVERAGE PARTICIPANT AGE OF 32 +/- 2.7 YEARS. MATERNAL HEART RATES SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DURING THE YOGA PERIOD (102 +/- 11 BPM) COMPARED TO REST (90 +/- 10), MEDITATION (85 +/- 12), AND RECOVERY (88 +/- 10) (P < .01). THE MAXIMUM MATERNAL HEART RATE REACHED DURING THE YOGA SESSION WAS 125 +/- 13 BPM. WHILE FETAL HEART RATES FLUCTUATED SLIGHTLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE YOGA SESSION, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT FETAL HEART RATE DECELERATIONS TO SUGGEST DELETERIOUS FETAL EFFECTS. THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG RESTING (138 +/- 14 BPM), YOGA (137 +/- 11 BPM), MEDITATION (139 +/- 7 BPM), OR RECOVERY (135 +/- 22 BPM) FETAL HEART RATES (P = .814). UTERINE ACTIVITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DURING THE YOGA PERIOD COMPARED WITH THE OTHER TIME POINTS (P < .001).CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN BE RECOMMENDED FOR LOW-RISK WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY AS NO ADVERSE FETAL OR MATERNAL HEART RATE CHANGES WERE OBSERVED DURING A TYPICAL PRENATAL YOGA SESSION. 2020 18 2113 27 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE DELIVERY AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES IN NULLIPAROUS PREGNANT WOMEN IN IRAN: A CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF PRETERM DELIVERY, CESAREAN SECTION (CS), AND FETAL DEATH. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY, DELIVERY, AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES. METHODS: THIS WAS A CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY AND USING THE RANDOM SAMPLING WITHOUT REPLACEMENT 70 PREGNANT WOMEN ENTERED HATHA YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS ACCORDING TO THE COLOR OF THE BALL THEY TOOK FROM A BAG CONTAINING TWO BALLS (BLUE OR RED). THE DATA COLLECTION TOOL WAS A QUESTIONNAIRE PREGNANCY, DELIVERY, AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES. THE INTERVENTION IN THIS STUDY INCLUDED PREGNANCY HATHA YOGA EXERCISES THAT FIRST SESSION OF PREGNANCY YOGA STARTED FROM THE 26TH WEEK AND SAMPLES ATTENDED THE LAST SESSION IN THE 37TH WEEK. THEY EXERCISED YOGA TWICE A WEEK (EACH SESSION LASTING 75 MIN) IN A YOGA SPECIALIZED SPORTS CLUB. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED THE ROUTINE PRENATAL CARE THAT ALL PREGNANT WOMEN RECEIVE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT YOGA REDUCED THE INDUCTION OF LABOR, THE EPISIOTOMY RUPTURE, DURATION OF LABOR, ALSO HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON NORMAL BIRTH WEIGHT AND DELIVERY AT THE APPROPRIATE GESTATIONAL AGE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND APGAR SCORES OF THE INFANTS. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS OF THE PRESENT STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES OF PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. THEY CAN BE USED AS PART OF THE CARE PROTOCOL ALONG WITH CHILDBIRTH PREPARATION CLASSES TO REDUCE THE COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT20180623040197N2 (2019-02-11). 2021 19 77 20 A HOLISTIC ANTENATAL MODEL BASED ON YOGA, AYURVEDA, AND VEDIC GUIDELINES. THE PREVALENCE OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS ARE ON THE RISE GLOBALLY WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES. ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO, 2009), EVERY MINUTE, AT LEAST ONE WOMAN DIES AND 20 ARE AFFECTED BY THE COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO PREGNANCY OR CHILDBIRTH. WHILE THE ROOT CAUSE OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IS UNCLEAR, IT LIKELY HAS PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS. THE VEDAS ARE A RICH SOURCE OF ANTENATAL HEALTH CARE GUIDELINES IN ALL THESE ASPECTS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE AUTHORS WAS TO COMPILE THE SCRIPTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR A HOLISTIC ANTENATAL MODEL OF YOGA WITH EMPHASIS ON SOCIOCULTURAL INDIAN PRACTICES. 2015 20 183 32 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL ON THE EFFICACY OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES OCCUR IN PREGNANCY TO NURTURE THE DEVELOPING FETUS. PREGNANCY-RELATED EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE TO EVERY WOMAN. PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS CAN RANGE FROM MILD TO SEVERE. MANY WOMEN CAN LOWER THEIR RISK BY PERFORMING DIFFERENT THERAPIES. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE PRESENT STUDY TARGETS TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF INTEGRATED YOGA CONSISTING OF (ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA) ON PREGNANCY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF COMPLICATIONS. THIS STUDY IS A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED SINGLE-BLINDED TRIAL WITH PARALLEL ARMS: THE INTERVENTION ARM RECEIVED SPECIFIC INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY; THE CONTROL ARM RECEIVED ROUTINE STANDARD CARE FROM 18 TO 22 WEEKS OF GESTATION UNTIL DELIVERY. THE INCIDENCE OF PREECLAMPSIA AND PRETERM DELIVERY WAS LOWER IN THE INTERVENTION ARM. WOMEN IN THE INTERVENTION ARM DELIVERED AT HIGHER GESTATIONAL AGE. APGAR SCORES AND BIRTH WEIGHTS OF NEONATES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE INTERVENTION ARM. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION DURING PREGNANCY TO REDUCE OR PREVENT PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS. HOWEVER, FURTHER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE FIRMER EVIDENCE REGARDING THE UTILITY AND VALIDITY OF YOGA INTERVENTION DURING PREGNANCY. 2021