Physical exertion at work during pregnancy did not increase risk of preterm delivery or fetal growth restriction
Q In pregnant working women, does physical exertion at work (standing, lifting, night work, and long hours) increase the risk of preterm delivery or fetal growth restriction?
METHODS
Design:
prospective cohort study.
Setting:
prenatal clinics at 3 hospitals in North Carolina, USA.
Participants:
1908 English speaking women ⩾16 years of age who were 24–29 weeks pregnant with a singleton gestation and had worked ⩾28 days in the first 2 trimesters of pregnancy.
Risk factors:
physical exertion at work during the first or second trimester, including standing, heavy lifting (>11 kg), regular night work (10 pm to 7 am), and long hours (exposure determined by telephone interview at 24–31 wks gestation).
Outcomes:
preterm delivery (<37 wks gestation) and small for gestational age (SGA) infant (birth weight <10th percentile).
MAIN RESULTS
In the first trimester, 25% of women stood ⩾30 hours/week, 10% lifted heavy objects ⩾13 times/week, 9% worked nights regularly, and 16% worked ⩾46 hours/week; proportions …
