Pregnant Employee Protection Program in a Large Chemical Company. Issue 9 (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frey, Gunild; Schuster, Michael; Oberlinner, Christoph; Queißer-Wahrendorf, Annette; Lang, Stefan; Yong, Mei
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 57:Issue 9(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Objectives:</title> <p>To assess whether a structured employee protection program for pregnant workers at a chemical company has an impact on pregnancy outcomes.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Methods:</title> <p>Reported pregnancies (<italic>n</italic> = 1402) between 2003 and 2010 and their outcomes were documented using questionnaires at the time of pregnancy report, end of pregnancy, and 1 year later. Potential maternal exposures were assessed using job histories, workplace inspections, and questionnaires.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Results:</title> <p>Participation was 86% overall and was consistently high across subgroups.</p> <p>Pregnancy losses (10.9%), pregnancy complications, and preterm births (8.1%) were in agreement with rates in the general population and were independent of type of work and maternal exposure category.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusions:</title> <p>Pregnancy complication rates in this chemical company are not statistically elevated than that in the general population, as suggested in a previous study. The protection program may play a role in preventing complications that may have occurred.</p> </sec> </abstract>