Our most sincere congratulations to our colleague Latifa Saidi on the successful defence of her doctoral thesis in the Health Sciences Research Program of the Université de Sherbrooke entitled “Effet des interventions de promotion de l’activité physique pendant la grossesse sur les outcomes maternelles et fœtales”. (Effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity during pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes) under the direction of Pr Mathieu Belanger and Pr Pierre Godbout. 

This thesis examines the effect of an intervention involving nurse education and physician prescription of physical activity on women followed by the Obstetric Clinic of the Dr.-Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton. The intervention was associated with a reduced risk of developing excessive gestational weight gain, a reduced risk of developing gestational hypertension, and macrosomia. In Canada, less than two out of ten women respect the recommendation of physical activity during pregnancy. Education on the relevance of physical activity and its prescription are interventions to be considered during routine maternity care to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.

Nurses and doctors at the Obstetric Clinic of the Dr.-Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre continue to offer the intervention four years after its implementation.

Latifa Saidi teaches at the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences and Community Services, Université de Moncton. We wish you all the best for your future endeavours!