Bending forward too much at work in early pregnancy linked to higher miscarriage risk
The Danish study found walking and standing a lot also increased the risk
Bending forward too much at work in early pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage, new research has revealed.
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A 14-year-long study of more than 800,000 pregnancies found bending forward, walking and standing could heighten the risk of an early miscarriage.
The study found that each additional hour spent bending forward, particularly at a 30 degree angle, carried a 36% higher risk.
Each additional hour spending walking and standing were linked to an 18% higher risk and 3% higher risk respectively.
It is estimated that early miscarriages, which happen in the first 12 weeks, affect between 10% and 20% of pregnancies in the UK.
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Researchers said the findings “highlight the importance of including the early pregnancy stage into guidelines for pregnant workers”.
They analysed data from 2004 to 2018, which included more than 800,000 pregnancies among 475,312 women in Denmark.
They then used activity tracker readings and expert evaluations of time spent standing, walking and bending forward at a 30 degree angle.
A little over one in 10 – or 81,307 pregnancies – ended in miscarriage.
Risks were greater among women who had been off work in the previous weeks compared to those who had not been absent.
Researchers stressed that further studies are needed, but said the findings, published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, “highlight the importance of including the early pregnancy stage into guidelines for pregnant workers”.
They added: “If the observed effects are true, they support a recommendation to reduce occupational standing, walking and forward bending during early pregnancy.
“However, given the anticipated residual confounding and uncertainties in the highest exposure levels, our findings may be too restricted.
“To confirm and refine these findings, replication in similar populations, together with the incorporation of smoking status and other maternal health information, is essential.
“Additionally, further trend analyses and meta-analyses are necessary to establish exposure–response relationships and identify potential threshold levels.”