Stressed Pregnant Working Mothers Put Their Unborn Child’s Life in Danger

Stress is a major factor causing health concerns among both the pregnant woman and her child. According to a study it was found that pregnant working mothers who undergo a lot of stress put their unborn child in peril. It was found that these children were five ounces lighter than the average birth weight. The situation is very similar to those seen in case pregnant smokers. These pregnant mothers put themselves through 32 hours a week in stressful job. Prof. Gouke Bonsel, who headed the study, said that the ideal working limit for pregnant mothers are 24 hours and not more than that as it would later affect the health of the baby.

The research was conducted by the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development research group who studied about 7,000 women. It was also found that babies born to stressed pregnant mothers were found to excessively. These mothers had a high risk of developing pre-eclampsia. He also suggested that they should reschedule their jobs with time intervals between their works. Prof. Vivette Glover, from the foetal and neonatal research group at Imperial College, London, agreed to this and said that there should be flexibility in their job. He explained that stress increases the levels of cortisol in the mother which crosses the placental barrier and slows the growth of the child. Nick Morgan, a spokesman from Tommy’s, the baby charity, said that women should choose the best way to try and reduce the stress in their work area.