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. 2022 Oct 14;19(20):13218.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192013218.

Comparison of First Childbirth Characteristics between Elite Judo Athletes and Non-Athletes: The Preliminary Retrospective Case-Control Study

Anna Kuczera  1 , Agnieszka Opala-Berdzik  2 , Jitka Malá  3 , Marcin Sodowski  4 , Daria Chmielewska  5
Affiliations

Comparison of First Childbirth Characteristics between Elite Judo Athletes and Non-Athletes: The Preliminary Retrospective Case-Control Study

Anna Kuczera et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

It has been speculated that elite athletes are more likely to have obstetric interventions during labor and delivery. So far, the impact of many years of competitive sports participation on childbirth characteristics has not been well-established. This preliminary retrospective case-control study aimed to determine whether the first labors of elite judo competitors required obstetric interventions more frequently and were longer than those of non-athletes. The study comprised 32 parous women: 16 elite judo athletes and 16 non-athletes. Women were included if they had access to the following obstetric data (from their first childbirth hospital discharge reports and/or first child's health record books): induction and augmentation of labor, mode of delivery, the duration of labor and its second stage, episiotomy, perineal tear, and the neonate's Apgar score. Electronic surveys were completed concerning childbirth characteristics, level of "eliteness" (judo athletes), and recreational physical activity (non-athletes). The statistical analysis showed no significant between-group differences in any of the first childbirth outcomes under analysis. The preliminary results indicate elite judo practice before first pregnancy had no negative impact on the rates of labor induction and augmentation, delivery mode, duration of labor, the rates of episiotomy and perineal tear, and the neonate's Apgar score. Due to the small sample size, the conclusions should be considered with caution.

Keywords: childbirth outcomes; delivery; elite judo athlete; labor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The numbers of first labor (a) induction [χ2 with Yates correction (1) = 0, p = 1], and (b) augmentation [χ2 with Yates correction (1) = 0.05, p = 0.82] in elite judo athletes and non-athlete controls.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The numbers of vaginal, intrapartum cesarean, and vacuum-assisted vaginal deliveries in elite judo athletes and non-athlete controls [χ2 (2) = 0.14, p = 0.93].
Figure 3
Figure 3
The numbers of (a) perineal tears (χ2 = 4.39, p = 0.11) and (b) episiotomies (Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.11) in in elite judo athletes and non-athlete controls.
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