Dr. Kristi Adamo (Research Scientist) provided a commentary yesterday to CBC news on a recent paper on how working late in pregnancy may be related to subsequent birth weight.
From the article:
Babies born to women who work later in pregnancy tend to be lighter than those whose mothers quit sooner, say researchers who compared the effect to smoking.
…
“In my opinion, healthful maternal behaviours trump all else,” Adamo said. “If you continue to work while engaging in a healthy lifestyle there is likely not a problem, however, if one’s work environment is not conducive to overall physical and mental well-being, than clearly an early exit would be beneficial for the developing fetus and mom as well.”
Adamo said the study explores an interesting perspective. But it’s limited since the researchers weren’t able to account for variables like body mass index before pregnancy and gestational weight gain that are important for fetal growth and birth weight.
Complications in pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, which contribute to higher birth weight, could be a reason why women stop working early, she added.
Click here to read the article in full.
