Women who work more than 25 hours a week while pregnant ‘more likely to have smaller babies’

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Women who work more than 25 hours a week while pregnant ‘more likely to have smaller babies’

June 28th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Sophie Borland

PUBLISHED:

19:53 EST, 27 June 2012

|

UPDATED:

02:18 EST, 28 June 2012

Pregnant women who work more than 25 hours a week tend to have smaller babies, according to research.

They weigh up to half a pound (200g) less than average at birth.

Scientists also found a connection between the amount of time pregnant women spent on their feet at work and the size of their babies, with those standing ‘often’ in jobs such as teaching or sales more likely to have smaller children.

Get some rest: Women who worked more than 25 hours a week subsequently had babies weighing 5-7oz (148-198g) less than average

Get some rest: Women who worked more than 25 hours a week subsequently had babies weighing 5-7oz (148-198g) less than average. (Posed by model)

One explanation is that more physically demanding work may reduce the flow of blood to the placenta, limiting the amount of nutrients and oxygen going to the foetus.

Experts do not know why working long hours in an office job would have a similar effect, but it may be due to stress.

Although smaller babies are not necessarily unhealthier, they are at higher risk from breathing problems, heart defects and conditions affecting their digestion. There is also evidence that they are at higher risk of learning difficulties and developmental problems later on.

The researchers from the University Medical Centre in Rotterdam in the Netherlands surveyed 4,680 expectant mothers, who were 30 weeks pregnant.

Put your feet up: Physically demanding work may reduce the flow of blood to the placenta

They were asked how many hours they worked a week and whether they ‘often’ spent long periods on their feet.

Those who worked more than 25 hours a week subsequently had babies weighing 5-7oz (148-198g) less than average. The circumference around the heads was nearly half an inch (1cm) shorter.

There were similar results for those who spent long periods on their feet while working during their pregnancy.

The authors, whose study is published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said employers should do more to make pregnant women’s jobs as comfortable as possible.

‘Optimising the work environment is important since participation of women in the reproductive age in the workforce continues to increase,’ they said.

‘Preventive measures reducing certain occupational conditions, such as shift work, night hours, standing, lifting and noise, have proven to reduce the risks of adverse birth outcomes.’

Dr Jenny Myers, from Manchester University’s Maternal and Foetal Health Research Centre, said: ‘The observed effects are not big enough to dramatically increase the number of growth-restricted babies, but it is not known whether these very subtle changes in growth trajectory have any significance in the long term.’

Prof Alex Burdorf, the lead author, said: ‘We were not surprised that (the babies’) head size was smaller in pregnant
women who stand for a long time at work, but we were pleasantly
surprised to find that it was only by a modest amount – three per cent smaller than
average at birth.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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I worked 28 hrs a week part time at a busy children’s hospital and then looked after my toddler on my “days off”. My baby was 10 lb 1oz. Imagine his big he would have been if I hadn’t worked! Don’t think I would have got my pool birth!

– jimalimb, Liverpool, 28/6/2012 08:31

Rubbish! 60 hour weeks until 38 weeks. 9lbs 3oz. Praise the lord I worked more than 25 hours or that could have really hurt……

– mel, Wales, 28/6/2012 08:14

Complete tosh! My mum worked all the time she was having me and I was 10 and a half pounds, I and all my friends worked right up until the last minute – literally in some cases – and had perfectly healthy fairly enormous babies. All of us were in fairly physical occupations. We molly coddle mothers today. It’s gone on for centuries, cows do it every day. Get over yourselves!

– Jane Slade, Oxford UK, 28/6/2012 08:13

Statistics. The third kind of lie. Like the statistic that smoking causes smaller, premature babies. I don’t know any smoker who has had a tiny, premature baby. Of course what they don’t tell you is the statistic that smoking protects from pre-eclampsia, to the extent that experts are now working on ways of delivering carbon monoxide to mothers who are at risk of the condition. But the bottom line is that generally, in a statistical study, the experts will have an idea in mind that they want to prove with their analysis, and since they already have an idea of the result they are expecting, the questions are shaped in such a way as to prove their theory. It is rare to find a study that has results that are the opposite of what the designers of the study hoped to prove. I had one of 6lb5oz (not working), two of 7lb7oz, (working) and one of 8lb10oz (not working), so on average my kids were average, working or not.

– Mother of 4, Surrey, 28/6/2012 08:13

How to make me feel better (not) my baby was a good weight of 7lb 12 but has a heart defect and is autistic, its good to know that by working hard i have left my child disabled!

– Does it Matter?, A Dot, in the middle of somewhere, 28/6/2012 08:07

Zzzzzzzzz, zzz, zzzzz,zz, zzzzz!!!

– English Bob, the Once Great Britain, 28/6/2012 07:53

I too worked during my pregnancy as a radio journalist – quite a stressful job. and my baby was 8 lbs 14 oz. I didn’t smoke but I did eat the right things. surely this has more to do with it. I would have gone crazy being at home and not working.

– therapina, cyprus, 28/6/2012 07:53

Not necessarily true. I worked upto 38 weeks full time and had my baby the following week… He weighed 8lb 13oz

– sallyeclarke, Cheshire, 28/6/2012 07:35

To all the women saying its rubbish because they had average or large babies…. Your survey of one is exactly that! Of course there are going to be exceptions to the rule.

– mel, cheshire, 28/6/2012 07:23

Worked full time, hyper emesis (threw up constantly) drips at weekends and a healthy baby boy 7lb 4oz. I call him my weetabix baby as most of the time that’s all I kept down with a little skimmed milk. The human body is capable of a lot more than we give it credit for. My daughter was 6lb 4, same scenario (but cornflakes!)

– bell, moray, 28/6/2012 07:19

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