Why it’s ok to work while pregnant

Women who work while they are pregnant are not at a higher risk for a problem pregnancy, a new study says.

Minnesota School of Public Health researchers found that a women’s employment does not have an adverse impact on the health of their baby. In fact they found that to be the case for both full and part-time workers.

Looking at data from nearly 1,600 women who gave birth, researchers compared pregnant women who were working full-time with women who were not working while pregnant. They found no association between full-time employment and preterm births or low birth weights. The study was published in the online edition of Women’s Health Issues

Researchers said it’s important to make the distinction that the type of work carried out by pregnant women is the critical factor, and not just the fact she works at all, that may carry risks.

“Prior research shows an association between certain job characteristics, such as strenuous physical labor and long work hours, and adverse birth outcomes, but often fails to disentangle a woman’s employment choices from her birth outcomes, given that women who work during pregnancy – out of choice or out of need – are very different from those who do not,” said study leader Katy Backes Kozhimannil, in a statement.

Study leaders hope the report generates more dialogue about how certain types of jobs increase the chances of something going wrong with the pregnancy.

“The influence of employment on childbirth-related health is relevant for families, employers, insurers, health care providers, and for the government and private sector systems that support the care and well-being of mothers and children,” said Kozhimannil.