This longitudinal study aimed to compare static postural stability in women between early pregnancy, advanced pregnancy, and at 2 and 6 months postpartum. Forty-five pregnant women were enrolled and 31 completed the protocol. Data were collected at 7–16 and 34–39 weeks gestation, and at 6–10 and 26–30 weeks postpartum. For each subject, the center of foot pressure path length and mean velocity (with directional subcomponents) were computed from 30-s long quiet-standing trials on a stationary force plate with eyes open or closed. The body mass, stance width, and sleep duration within 24 h before testing were also recorded. Static postural stability was not different between pregnancy and postpartum, except for the anterior posterior sway tested in the eyes-closed condition, which was significantly increased in late pregnancy compared to that at 2 and 6 months postpartum. Pregnant/postpartum women’s body mass weakly positively correlated with anterior-posterior sway in the eyes-closed condition and their stance width weakly positively correlated with the anterior-posterior sway in the eyes-open condition. No effect of sleep duration on postural sway was found. Our findings indicate that under visual deprivation conditions women in advanced pregnancy may have decreased static stability compared to their non-pregnant state.

Background: Gymnastics training enhances the development of postural control in children and adolescents. In competitive gymnastics, the training regimen is specific to the given gymnastic discipline and is usually followed from the early years of practicing. This study aimed to determine whether postural steadiness differed between young gymnasts practicing two distinct disciplines, and whether it was related to the duration of their training experience, age, and their anthropometric characteristics.Methods: Thirty 10–13-year-old females ̶ ten artistic gymnasts, ten acrobatic gymnasts (training as “tops”), and ten non-athletes ̶ were examined during 60-s quiet standing trials on a force platform with the eyes open and closed. Their postural sway was represented by directional components of centre of foot pressure mean velocity. Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon and Spearman’s ρ tests were used for analyses.Results: Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral centre of foot pressure mean velocities were not different between the artistic and acrobatic gymnasts (p > 0.05). In the artistic gymnasts, the duration of training experience, age, body height, body mass, and maturity offset were negatively correlated with the anterior-posterior centre of foot pressure mean velocity under eyes-open conditions. The acrobatic gymnasts’ body mass and BMI percentiles were negatively correlated with their anterior-posterior and medial-lateral centre of foot pressure mean velocities under both visual conditions (rranged from − 0.64 to − 0.93;p < 0.05). The non-athletes’ centre of foot pressure mean velocities were non-significantly correlated with their age and anthropometric measures under both visual conditions (p > 0.05).Conclusions: The artistic gymnasts’ longer training experience, greater age, body height, body mass, and biological maturity were associated with better anterior-posterior postural steadiness when vision was available; the acrobatic gymnasts’ greater body mass and BMI percentiles were associated with better overall postural steadiness regardless of visual conditions. Relationships were observed between postural steadiness and discipline-specific training experience and anthropometric characteristics; however, causes and effects were not proven.

Background: Inter-recti distance (IRD) measurement using musculoskeletal USI has been used in physiotherapy research, in particular, to investigate pregnancy-related diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) and to seek its effective treatment methods. Severe and untreated diastasis may result in the formation of umbilical or epigastric hernias. Objective: This study aimed to systematically map physiotherapy-related research articles that included descriptions of IRD measurement procedures using USI to present their similarities and differences, and formulate recommendations on the procedure. Design: A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, including 49 of 511 publications from three major databases. Publications were selected and screened by two independent reviewers whose decisions were consulted with a third reviewer. The main synthesized data items were: the examinees’ body position, breathing phase, measurement sites, and DRA screening methods. The final conclusions and recommendations were the result of a consensus between seven reviewers from four research centers. Results: Studies used 1–5 measurement sites that were differently determined. IRD was measured at the umbilicus (n = 3), at its superior (n = 16) and/or inferior border (n = 9), and at different levels: between 2 and 12 cm above the umbilicus, or a third of the distance and halfway between the umbilicus and xiphoid (n = 37); between 2 and 4.5 cm below the umbilicus or halfway between the umbilicus and pubis (n = 27). Different approaches were used to screen subjects for DRA. Conclusions: The discrepancies between the measurement procedures prevent between-study comparisons. The DRA screening method should be standardized. IRD measurement protocol standardization has been proposed. Critical relevance statement: This scoping review indicates that the inter-recti distance measurement procedures using ultrasound imaging differ between studies, preventing between-study comparisons. Based on the results synthesis, the measurement protocol standardization has been proposed. Key points: The inter-recti distance measurement procedures using USI differ between studies. Proposed standardization concerns body position, breathing phase, measurements number per location. Determination of measurement locations considering individual linea alba length is suggested. Recommended locations: umbilical top, ½ of umbilical top-xiphoid, ¼ of umbilical top-xiphoid/pubis distances. Diastasis recti abdominis diagnostic criteria are needed for proposed measurement locations. Graphical

The Influence of Pregnancy on the Location of the Center of Gravity in Standing Position: The purpose of the study was to compare the average location of the center of gravity vertical projection in sagittal plane in women at the beginning of and in advanced pregnancy as well as after delivery. The experiment was performed with the use of a force platform during four test sessions. A group of 44 women (8-16 weeks of pregnancy) participated in the initial test session. In the following sessions the number of the subjects reduced mainly due to medical and childcare problems: 33 women were tested in late pregnancy (2-3 weeks before delivery), and 39 women were tested two and six months after delivery. The results showed the statisticaly significant (p<0,05) posterior displacement of the projection of the center of gravity of the lenth of approximately 4 mm in late pregnancy comparing to the beginning of pregnancy. The displacement may be the result of the body's adaptation to the increased mass in the anterior trunk area in late pregnancy. No discrepancy was found when comparing the average center of gravity location in the early pregnancy and after delivery. We concluded that the change of the center of gravity location in late pregnancy is temporary and two months after delivery the vertical projection of the center of gravity is located as it was at the beginning of pregnancy.