- Pregnant women who work nights or long hours may be more likely to have a miscarriage or preterm delivery than mothers with day jobs, a research review suggests.
Compared to women who work fixed day shifts during pregnancy, those who work rotating shifts were 13per cent more likely to have a preterm delivery and 18per cent more likely to have an undersized baby, the analysis also found. They were also 19per cent more likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy, and 75per cent more likely to develop dangerously high blood pressure known as preeclampsia.
"However, when this isn't possible it's important to focus on other aspects of your life within your control that can also impact prenatal health," Davenport said by email."Focus on maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle outside of work to include exercise, sufficient sleep and nutritious food to improve prenatal health."Researchers examined data from 62 previously published studies that included a total of 196,989 women.
It's possible that long hours or shift work might negatively impact pregnancy outcomes by interrupting the body's circadian rhythm - the daily cycle that impacts sleeping and eating patterns - hormones and other physiological processes, Davenport said.