Changes in static balance during pregnancy and postpartum: A systematic review

Background: Because pregnant women show a high risk of falling, some researchers examined their balance during static standing. This systematic review summarized the findings from all studies evaluating static balance in women during pregnancy and postpartum.

Research question: Do pregnant and postpartum women show differences in static balance compared to non-pregnant women, and does static balance change during pregnancy and postpartum?

Methods: Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched systematically from inception until Feb 23, 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they measured COP sway with a force plate during bipedal static standing, and compared COP outcomes between healthy pregnant or postpartum women and non-pregnant women, and/or during different stages of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Methodological quality was assessed overall with a modified version of the Downs and Black checklist, and specifically related to COP measurement by using recommendations of Ruhe et al. (2010). The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020166302).

Results: Thirteen studies were included. Because methodological approaches varied greatly between studies, results were summarized descriptively. Studies reported either greater overall and anteroposterior COP sway magnitude, velocity and variability in women from the second half of pregnancy until six months postpartum compared to non-pregnant controls, or no differences in static balance. Changes in static balance throughout pregnancy were generally not found. Finally, there was no clear consensus on the influence of pregnancy on the reliance on visual inputs for balance control, and on whether differences in balance in pregnant and postpartum women reflect poorer balance or positive adaptations to the physical changes experienced during pregnancy.

Significance: Methodological heterogeneity between studies prevented us from drawing strong conclusions regarding the effect of pregnancy on static balance. Assessing the methodological quality of the studies revealed weaknesses that should be taken into account in future studies.