Standing while pregnant may slow foetal growth, research finds

Research carried out in the Netherlands and published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that pregnant women who stood for the majority of time at work had babies whose heads were around 1cm smaller than average (though this did not affect the health of the babies at birth).

The researchers followed 4,680 mothers-to-be throughout their pregnancies. Around 40% had jobs where they spent around eight hours on their feet, such as hairdressing.

The study also found that working up to 36 weeks of pregnancy or work involving heavy lifting had no impact on birth weight, size or prematurity.

Gail Johnson, from the Royal College of Midwives, said: "Women need to be reassured that generally working in pregnancy does not increase the risk of poor outcomes.

"This research provides a useful opportunity to discuss employment issues with women who are pregnant. It is important for women to discuss with their employer any concerns they have around their jobs so that a solution to any problems - such as standing for long periods - can be found."

Article supplied by RpSPA ebulletin