A study has uncovered alarming new data about the correlation between long hours, shift work and the risk of preterm birth.
Monash University researchers have found pregnant women who worked long hours, shift work, physically demanding jobs, or in jobs that exposed them to whole-body vibration, were at a higher risk of premature births.
The risk of preterm births was especially high for shift workers and for women who worked more than 40 hours per week, they found.
Study co-author Professor Alex Collie said it was important for both women and their employers to be aware of the risks.
“We are not suggesting that pregnant women should not work,” Professor Collie said.
“Employers of pregnant women should consider modifying jobs that have heavy physical demands.”
The review, published in Public Health Reviews, also found evidence that high-exertion jobs were linked to preterm birth.
However, the study found no evidence of increased risk for women who stood at work for long periods or whose jobs required heavy lifting.
Premature births have been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, lung and heart disease later in life.
More than three-quarters of Australian women work throughout their reproductive age, a figure which has been growing in recent years as more women enter the workforce.
An estimated 15 million preterm births occur worldwide each year, with 1.1 million infant deaths as a result.
Professor Collie has called for more research on the risks and potential actions, including in Australia and said the study provided information that could be used to prevent preterm birth and its complications.
“As the number of Australian women in the workforce has increased, so has the number of women in physically demanding jobs,” he said.
“We need workplace policy and procedures that balance these risks while not limiting the workforce participation of women.”
(9 NEWS)
