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Med. Pr. 2006;57(3):281-290

The effect of occupational and non-occupational psychosocial stress on the course of pregnancy and its outcome

Wpływ stresu psychospołecznego w pracy zawodowej i pozazawodowej na przebieg i wynik ciąży

Joanna B. Biernacka1, Wojciech Hanke2 1 Marshalśs Office of the Łódź Voivodships Department of Health Promotion 2Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland

Abstract

The effect of stressful professional work on the course of pregnancy and its outcome is for various reasons an important issue. The aim of this work was to compare and evaluate studies carried out in different countries all over the world on the risk ofpreterm delivery (PTD) and fetal hypotrophia in infants whose mothers were occupationally exposed to psychosocial stress during gestation. An analysis of available literature confirms a significantly higher PTD odds ratio among pregnant women working inadverse psychosocial conditions. Low birth weight (LBW) in newborns of this group of mothers occurs more frequently than in the general population.

Key words

pregnant female workers, psychosocial job stress, preterm delivery, low birth weight