Study reveals how heat and exercise impact pregnant women and fetuses
NCT ID NCT07326176
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how heat and physical activity affect the health of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Twenty-four healthy pregnant women completed four 3-hour sessions in a controlled room, either at a comfortable 20°C or a warm 30°C, while doing light or moderate treadmill walking. Researchers measured the mother's body temperature, heart rate, and the baby's heart rate and blood flow using ultrasound. The goal was to understand the body's response to heat and work during late pregnancy.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could help create guidelines to protect pregnant women and their babies from heat stress during work or hot weather.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed observational study with only 24 participants. It does not test a treatment, so it cannot directly lead to a new therapy or cure.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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24 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2024
- Finished
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Aug 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy pregnant women between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation * Singleton pregnancy * Habitually heat-acclimatized, defined as daily exposure to outdoor environmental conditions equal to or warmer than those used in the study * Able to perform treadmill walking at light and moderate intensities * Willing and able to attend all laboratory sessions * Provided written informed consent * Age 18 years or older Exclusion Criteria: * Multiple pregnancy (e.g., twins, triplets) * Chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to: * Hypertension * Diabetes * HIV * Obstetric complications, including: * Pre-eclampsia * Severe anemia * Acute infections, including urinary tract infection * Any contraindication to exercise based on the Physical Activity Readiness for Pregnancy (PARmed-X for Pregnancy) checklist * Inability to comply with the study procedures or scheduled visits * Any condition deemed by investigators to compromise participant safety or data integrity
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Dept. of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly
Trikala, Thessaly, 42100, Greece