Background: There is accumulating evidence that the type of work and environmental exposures in the working environment may have adverse effects on foetal development.
Aim: To compare the risk of low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational age (SGA) and pre-term delivery (PD) in broad categories of maternal occupation including farming and forestry; factory, mining and construction; office, non-manual and service work and housewives.
Methods: The study population consisted of 2568 singleton newborns of women who participated in The Finnish Prenatal Environment and Health Study after the delivery (response rate 94%). Information on maternal occupation and work during pregnancy was collected after the delivery. The health outcomes were LBW (<2500 g), SGA and PD (<37 weeks).
Results: In newborns of women working in factories, mining and construction, the risk of LBW (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-11.62), SGA (adjusted OR 1.53, 95% CI 0.73-3.21), but not the risk of PD (adjusted OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.19-2.22), was higher compared with newborns of housewives. In newborns of farmers and forestry workers, the risks of PD (adjusted OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.01-5.65), LBW (adjusted OR 2.86, 95% CI 0.78-11.58) and SGA (adjusted OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.62-3.65) were all elevated. In office, non-manual and service workers, the corresponding estimates were lower (LBW: 1.62, 0.67-3.95; SGA: 1.45, 0.92-2.28; PD: 1.18, 0.69-2.01).
Conclusions: There were substantial differences in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes between the main branches of industry.