Health & Pregnancy

Physically Demanding Work May Lead to Pregnancy Problems

• Physically taxing work conditions can increase the risk of a woman having problems with pregnancy, such as preterm birth, babies that are small for gestational age, and high blood pressure or preeclampsia.
• Work conditions that were associated with these problems included prolonged standing, heavy lifting, and shift work, but working long hours did not show an association.
• Preterm birth can cause major long-term problems in children, so women may want to consider modifying lifestyle factors on the job and employers may want to implement better maternity leave policies.