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REVIEW article

Front. Physiol.
Sec. Integrative Physiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1370079

Maternal Posture-Physiology Interactions in Human Pregnancy: A Narrative Review

Provisionally accepted
Allan J. Kember Allan J. Kember 1,2*Jennifer L. Anderson Jennifer L. Anderson 3Natalyn E. Gorazd Natalyn E. Gorazd 3Sarah C. House Sarah C. House 4Katherine E. Kerr Katherine E. Kerr 3Paula A. Torres Loza Paula A. Torres Loza 3David G. Reuter David G. Reuter 5Sebastian R. Hobson Sebastian R. Hobson 1,4,6Craig J. Goergen Craig J. Goergen 3
  • 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 2 Shiphrah Biomedical Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 3 Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
  • 4 Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 5 Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, United States
  • 6 Mount Sinai Hospital (Canada), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    There are several well-known medical conditions in which posture and gravity interact with natural history, including pregnancy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of interactions between maternal posture and maternal physiology and pathophysiology at rest during pregnancy. We conducted a systematic literature search of the MEDLINE database and identified 644 studies from 1991 through 2021, inclusive, that met our inclusion criteria. We present a narrative review of the resulting literature and highlight discrepancies, research gaps, and potential clinical implications. We organize the results by organ system and, commencing with the neurological system, proceed in our synthesis generally in the craniocaudal direction, concluding with the skin. The circulatory system warranted our greatest and closest considerationliterature concerning the dynamic interplay between physiology (heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, blood pressure, and systemic vascular resistance), pathophysiology (e.g., hypertension in pregnancy), and postural changes provide an intricate and fascinating example of the importance of the subject of this review. Other organ systems discussed include respiratory, renal, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, abdominal, and endocrine. In addition to summarizing the existing literature on maternal posture-physiology interactions, we also point out gaps and opportunities for further research and clinical developments in this area. Overall, our review provides both insight into and relevance of maternal posture-physiology interactions vis à vis healthcare's mission to improve health and wellness during pregnancy and beyond.

    Keywords: gravity, Posture, maternal, Pregnancy, Obstetrics, Physiology, pathophysiology

    Received: 10 Feb 2024; Accepted: 02 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Kember, Anderson, Gorazd, House, Kerr, Torres Loza, Reuter, Hobson and Goergen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Allan J. Kember, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5G1E2, Ontario, Canada

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.