Bethany Barone-Gibbs

It really was that prolonged sitting, so sitting more than an hour at a time.

That was more strongly associated with having these complications.

It really was that prolonged sitting, so sitting more than an hour at a time.

That was more strongly associated with having these complications.

As society has become more sedentary, researchers wanted to know how all that sitting affects pregnancy outcomes.

So they recruited 500 women to wear activity trackers throughout their pregnancies.

They found that people who spent more than 10 hours a day sitting had twice the risk of pregnancy complications compared to those who sat about seven hours a day.

Here's lead study author Bethany Barone-Gibbs of West Virginia University.

She says even just standing or moving around a bit regularly helped cut the risks.

Maria Godoy, NPR News.