Authors (year, country）

Study design

Sample size

and population

Yoga and comparison

Outcomes measured

Results and conclusions

limited and Development trend

Buttner M. M. et al. (2015, USA)

RCT

N = 57 (28 Yoga, 29 Control; Postpartum)

8 wk (1 h, 1/wk) (8 hr) Control: Wait-list control

PHQ-9 SCID-I HDRS 5-point Likert scale

Depressive symptoms decreased (P < 0.001) in yoga group.

1) The sample size was small.

2) Did not provide “suboptimal” therapy of another type.

Rakhshani A. et al. (2015, India)

RCT

N = 59 (27 Yoga, 32 Control; High-risk pregnancy, 12 - 28 WG)

28 sessions (1 h, 3/wk) (28 hr) Control: Standard care plus walking

ANOVA

SPSS T-test

Chi-Square test

Yoga can improve the intrauterine fetal growth and the utero-fetal-placental circulation.

1) The sample size was small.

2) It was not able to collect all the necessary data required.

Davis K. et al. (2015, USA)

RCT

N = 46 (23 Yoga, 23 Control; up to 28 WG with symptoms of depression and anxiety)

8 wk (75 min, 1/wk) (10 hr) Control: Treatment as usual

EPDS

STAI

IPAQ

CSQ-8

1) Yoga was reduced in negative affect as compared to TAU (P = 0.011). 2) Depression and anxiety were reduced during the yoga intervention.

The control group was heterogeneous in nature and unrestrictive.

Uebelacker L. A. et al. (2015, USA)

RCT

N = 20 (12 Yoga, 8 Control; 12 - 26 WG)

9 wk (75 min, 1/wk) (11.25 hr) Control: Focused on mother’s and baby’s health

QIDS Questionnaire

CSQ-8 SCID EPDS

Prenatal yoga could be helpful for women with mild to moderate levels of depression.

Further investigation was warranted to evaluate whether prenatal yoga could represent an effective intervention for mild moderate antenatal depression.

Kusaka M. et al. (2016, Japan)

Pre-post test

time1, N = 53, time2, N = 46

(18 - 22 WG)

8 - 9 sessions (1 h, 2/month) (9 hr) Control: Pre-post test

Questionnaire survey EIA POMS-65 SPSS

1) The mean salivary cortisol concentration declined after each yoga class (P = 0.001).

2) The mean salivary a-amylase concentration decreased (P = 0.001).

1) Single object

2) It was not clear which component reduced stress.

3) The frequency of yoga practice was widely different.

Timlin D. et al. (2017, UK)

RCT

N = 32 (16 Yoga, 16 Control;

6 months to 1 year postpartum)

4 wk (1 h, 1/wk) (4 hr) Control: Not receive an intervention

PAR-Q

ANOVA

PANAS

The yoga group had improved psychological well-being as indicated by reductions in stress, negative affect, and dysfunctional coping and increases in problem focused coping at follow up (P < 0.05).

1) The sample size was small.

2) Single object.

Matsuzaki M. et al. (2017, Japan)

RCT

N = 400 (100 Yoga, 100 Nutritional guidance, 100 yoga and nutritional guidance, 100 Standard care; 18 - 23 WG)

20 wk (1 h, 3/wk) (60 hr) Control: Standard care alone

Questionnaire SPSS Blood samples Saliva samples BDHQ

1) Pregnant women with gestational weight gain.

2) Yoga exercise and nutritional intervention are useful for healthcare providers and pregnant women.

1) Cannot clarify what aspect of yoga exercise causes its impact.

2) A dietary assessment questionnaire can induce recall bias and reporting bias.

Chen P.J. et al. (2017, Taiwan)

RCT

N = 94 (48 yoga, 46 control; 16 - 36 WG)

20 wk (70 min, 2/wk)

(46 hr) Control: Receiving routine prenatal care

Saliva samples SPSS

1) The yoga group had lower salivary cortisol (P < 0.001) and higher immunoglobulin A (P < 0.001) levels.

2) The yoga group had higher long-term salivary immunoglobulin A levels (P = 0.018), weighed more than those born to the control group (P < 0.001).

1) The impact of yoga on long-term outcomes and other physiological indicators of immune and adrenal function were not measured.

2) The dose and frequency of yoga may not have been enough to produce long-term effects on salivary cortisol levels.

Jahdi F. et al. (2017, Iran)

RCT

(single-blind)

N = 60 (30 Yoga, 30 Control; 18 - 35 years old Primiprous; 26 - 37 WG)

12 wk (1 h, 3/wk) (36 hr) Control: Received routine care

VAS SPSS Apgar Score

1) Yoga class required a decreased frequency of labor induction (P = 0.008).

2) Delivery of the yoga group resulted in a lower percentage of cesarean section (P = 0.002).

3) Control group reported higher pain intensity (P = 0.01).

1) Do more investigation on the effects of yoga exercises on different pregnancy

consequences and delivery procedures.

2) More research on mental processes.

Hayase M. et al. (2018, Japan)

Questionnaires

N = 91

(38 Yoga,

53 Control; 20 - 23 WG and continued until delivery)

18 wk (1 h, 1/wk) (18 hr) Control: Not attend the yoga classes

HR variability monitor Saliva samples Questionnaire PSS

1) Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system during the third trimester of pregnancy.

2) Consolidating sleep during the night

3) Decreasing α-amylase levels and stress.

1) Small sample size.

2) The study population was not sufficient to fully investigate.

Akarsu R.H. et al. (2018, Turkey)

RCT

N = 63 (31 Yoga, 32 Control;

Primiprous;

14 - 26 WG)

8 wk (40 min, 2/wk) (10.5 hr) Control: Received routine antenatal care.

PIF PPHAS PAI SPSS

1) The mean pregnancy psychosocial Health Assessment scale scores of the yoga group were higher (P < 0.001).

2) The prenatal attachment inventory mean scores and the anxiety and stress scores of the yoga group were higher (P < 0.05).

Further research is needed using

larger sample of pregnant women with different education levels.

Novelia S. et al. (2018, Indonesia)

Quasi-experimental

N = 30 (15 Yoga, 15 Control; the mean age = 29.13)

2 wk (90 min, 2/wk) (6 hr) Control: Receiving routine prenatal care

Quasi- experimental HARS T-test

1) There was a difference in the anxiety levels in the yoga group (P = 0.005).

2) Yoga relaxation had an effect on reducing anxiety levels among pregnant women at the third trimester.

1) Future research is needed to conduct the yoga relaxation using the Anxiety Scale for Pregnancy to enhance the validity.

2) Clinical outcomes are needed to be measured as the effect of anxiety disorders.

Holden S.C. et al.

(2019, USA)

RCT

N = 20 (11 Yoga, 9 Control; 12 - 26 WG)

12 wk (1 h, 1/wk) (12 hr) Control: Attended an educational group

RMDQ PSI EDPS

1) Prenatal yoga can improve gestational LBP and maternal well-being. 2) The effects of yoga groups were found on biomechanical assessments (P < 0.04).

1) A small pilot.

2) Recruited

subjects were mostly white and maternal age at baseline.

Mohyadin E. et al. (2020, Iran)

RCT

N = 84 (42 Yoga,

42 Control; 26 - 37 WG)

12 wk (60 min, 0.5/wk) (6 hr) Control: Received routine care

STAI VAS Chi-Square T-test

1) Yoga group reported less pain at dilatation (P = 0.001).

2) Stat anxiety was

lower in yoga group (P = 0.003).

3) The total duration of two stages of labor was shorter in yoga group (P = 0.003).

1) The rejection of many women

for fear not being sedentary during pregnancy.