Night work linked to premature births

Pregnant women who work nights are more likely to give birth prematurely, according to new research.

A small-scale US study found a 50% increase in the risk of early labour among pregnant night-workers, rising to 100% among those working nights in the first three months of pregnancy. But standing for long periods and lifting heavy weights were not found to increase premature birth risk.

Lisa A Pompeii and others, "Physical exertion at work and the risk of preterm delivery and small-for-gestational-age birth", Obstetrics & Gynaecology, vol. 106, pages 1279-1288, 2005