the effect of pregnant women's working conditions on pregnancy outcome (1994)

a casual comparative study was made to determine the effect of pregnant women's working conditions on   pregnancy outcome (fetal death, gestational age and birth weight).   600 women, delivered or treated for spontaneous abortion in eleven hospitals of tehran, were interviewed, 200   were working women (the study group) and 400 housewives (the control group).   for collecting information a questionnaire-checklist, consisting of 3 parts, was employed. the first part covered   certain demographic information, the second gave details regarding working conditions of the study group during   pregnancy and the third part checked the pregnancy outcome in all members of the sample.   the working condition was categorized into desired and undesired columns using a condition rating system. the   findings reflecting the pregnancy outcome and other variables of concern were presented in 45 tables. for analyzing   the results chi-square and odd-ratio tests were employed.   the results indicated that working mothers had a greater chance of experiencing premature delivery, low birth   weight (less than 2500 grms) and fetal death than the housewife mothers. also premature delivery and giving birth   to low birth weight babies in those who had undesirable working conditions appeared to be higher than in those   with better situations. but these differences statistically were not significant further, it appeared that long working   hours (more than 8 hours a day) and jobs that required motion or produced physical fatigue contribute /0   premature births, low birth weights and fetal deaths. jet no significant correlations were noticed among the variables   of concern. the only significant difference noticed was 1m body 's birth weight in working and housewife mothers.   based on these findings it was recommended tha t additional welfare services be provided to pregnant working mothers.