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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Mar 29, 2006
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May 2006, Vol 96, No. 5 | American Journal of Public Health 846-855
© 2006 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.058552

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Work Activity in Pregnancy, Preventive Measures, and the Risk of Delivering a Small-for-Gestational-Age Infant

Agathe Croteau, MD, PhD, Sylvie Marcoux, MD, PhD and Chantal Brisson, PhD

Agathe Croteau is with the CHUL Research Centre, Université Laval, Québec, Québec. Sylvie Marcoux and Chantal Brisson are with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Dre Agathe Croteau, Public Health Direction, 2400, avenue D’Esti-mauville, Québec, Québec G1E 7G9 (e-mail: agathe. croteau{at}ssss.gouv.qc.ca).

Objectives. We undertook a case–control study to evaluate whether some occupational conditions during pregnancy increase the risk of delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant and whether taking measures to eliminate these conditions decreases that risk.

Methods. The 1536 cases and 4441 controls were selected from 43898 women who had single live births between January 1997 and March 1999 in Québec, Canada. The women were interviewed by telephone after delivery.

Results. The risk of having an SGA infant increased with an irregular or shift-work schedule alone and with a cumulative index of the following occupational conditions: night hours, irregular or shift-work schedule, standing, lifting loads, noise, and high psychological demand combined with low social support. When the conditions were not eliminated, the risk increased with the number of conditions (Ptrend =.004; odds ratios=1.00, 1.08, 1.28, 1.43, and 2.29 for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4–6 conditions, respectively). Elimination of the conditions before 24 weeks of pregnancy brought the risks close to those of unexposed women.

Conclusions. Certain occupational conditions experienced by pregnant women can increase their risk of having an SGA infant, but preventive measures can reduce the risk.






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