Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509180028
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Pregnant women who stand for long hours or work in a noisy, stressful atmosphere for more than 40 hours a week can increase their risk of giving birth prematurely by about 70 percent, researchers say.
A study of 1,470 pregnant nurses showed that those who worked around roaring machines, or stood for long periods while caring for newborns, or who worked unusually long and irregular schedules were much more likely to deliver premature, underweight babies.
Results of the study were published Friday in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Timothy R.B. Johnson, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and senior author of the study, said the research should send a clear signal to working women to consider modifying their work habits during pregnancy.
Johnson said the study showed that women who already have given birth to a premature baby are about 10 times more likely to do so again if they work and stand long hours in stressful conditions.
He said women who have had a previous preterm delivery ``should seriously consider whether they want to work at all.''
The study compared the pregnancy outcomes of nurses who worked at sitting jobs in relatively quiet surroundings with nurses who worked in jobs with high levels of standing, lifting, stress and noise.
Premature babies were those born before 37 weeks of gestation. Among the 1,470 nurses, there were 210 preterm babies and 1,260 delivered at term.
Women who stood at their jobs for five to six hours at a time increased the risk of premature delivery by 80 percent, the study found, and more than six hours of standing at the job tripled the risk of premature delivery.
Premature birth can lead to high infant mortality, and babies born too soon often have severe medical problems.
Johnson said the number of working women has doubled within the last 35 years, which may be a factor in the 20 percent increase in premature births over the last decade.
Such statistics, he said, make it clear that women should consider carefully the effects their work situation may have on their pregnancies.
``This study has changed the kind of recommendations I make to women,'' said Johnson. ``My recommendations to all working women who are pregnant is that they not stand for prolonged periods of time, that they not work for more than eight-hour days or for more than 40-hour weeks.''
by CNB