1. A study done in Korea just this year showed that rats that
ran on a treadmill daily during pregnancy gave birth to "rat
pups" with improved short-term memory compared with those "rat
pups" whose mothers didn't run. (Kim H, International Journal of
Developmental Neuroscience. 25(4):243-9, 2007 Jun) 2. A German
study from 2004 found that running women matched for age and
weight to non-running women had improved placental blood flow
and thus greater oxygen delivery to the baby. They speculate
that this should improve feto-placental growth. (Bergmann A,
Placenta. 25(8-9):694-8, 2004 Sep-Oct) 3. A study done in 2002
in California showed that surveyed women who were more
physically active had 30-50% lower risk for neural tube defects
in their babies, even when they controlled for vitamin
supplements they took. This study wasn't limited to running,
though and included other forms of cardiovascular exercise.
(Carmichael SL, Maternal & Child Health Journal. 6(3):151-7,
2002 Sep) 4. A Canadian study from 2000 done i