Arterial hypertension in pregnant women in relation to professional work

Abstract

Background Hypertension during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of complications in the mother, fetus and newborn. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension in a selected population of pregnant women of Lower Silesia in relation to the type of occupational work performed by women.
Material and methods We analyzed 6343 medical history of pregnant women who gave birth in the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wroclaw Medical University in 2004–2009. We analyzed also the relationship between the profession performed by mother and state of newborn health.
Results The percentage of pregnant women diagnosed with hypertension was 7% of the studied population. The largest professional group of pregnant women with hypertension were the saleswomen or cashiers (13.2%), economists (10.1%) and clerks (10.1%). Two reasons may affect the incidence of hypertension in pregnancy: a coexistence a various psycho-physical factors (stress) in the workplace, and work with display screen. A statistically significant effect of the use of hypotensive pharmacotherapy or the mother’s occupational category on the birth weight infants was demonstrated.
Conclusions Hypertension in pregnancy appears more frequently among women in certain professions. Greater protection should be extended to pregnant women employed in positions such as clerk or cashier. Also fetal hypotrophia may be related to the profession performed by a pregnant woman. Working using a display screen may be a factor associated with low birth weight newborn. An effect of occupational factors on the health of pregnant women and their newborns needs further investigation.
Arterial Hypertension 2011, vol. 15, no 5, pages 290–298