Active pregnancy linked to smarter newborns

Women are being encouraged to exercise throughout their pregnancy in order to improve their own health and that of their newborn.

Scientists in Canada have linked exercise with increased brain function in babies for the first time.

Read: Exercising whilst pregnant 'boost's baby's brain'

In the past women would be advised to take it easy and rest during pregnancy, however recent research has shown that a lack of exercise increases risks of pregnancy and the risk of the baby developing obesity.

Professor Daniel Curnier, scientist at the University of Montreal, said:

"While being sedentary increases the risks of suffering complications during pregnancy, being active can ease after delivery recovery, make pregnancy more comfortable and reduce the risk of obesity in the children.

"Given that exercise has been demonstrated to be beneficial for the adult's brain, we hypothesised that it could also be beneficial for the unborn child through the mother's actions."

"Our results show that the babies born from the mothers who were physically active have a more mature cerebral activation, suggesting that their brains developed more rapidly."

Read: Pregnant women urged to 'change health habits'