Læknablaðið - 15.05.1995, Side 11

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ 1995; 81
385
Vinna og vinnuforföll í meðgöngu
Elísabet A. Helgadóttir, Linda B. Helgadóttir, Reynir Tómas Geirsson
Helgadóttir EA, Helgadóttir LB, Geirsson RT
Work and Cessation of Work in Pregnancy
Læknablaðið 1995; 81: 385-91
From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecol-
ogy, National University Hospital, 101 Reykjavík,
Iceland
To what extent women work during pregnancy in
Iceland and why or when they discontinue work, has
not been assessed, nor if work during pregnancy
affects gestational length and birthweight, as seen
elsewhere.
In an unselected group of 407 women delivering at
the National University Hospital in Reykjavik in the
months September and November 1993, informa-
tion on obstetrical outcome measures, job contin-
uation, cessation of work and sickness- or other
benefits from employer or social security was ob-
tained from birth registration, maternity records
and by a short structured interview with each wom-
an.
A majority of the women (347) worked during preg-
nancy (85%), but 304 discontinued work (87.6%),
on average 65.3 days before delivery. In addition 10
housewives could not continue domestic work.
Women who became unwell during pregnancy ap-
peared not to stop work earlier than others. Most
stopped because of illness (59.2%) and some used
summer holidays to discontinue work (12.7%) when
this coincided with the end of pregnancy. Signi-
ficantly more women stopped work because of ill-
Frá Kvennadeild Landspítalans. Fyrirspurnir, bréfaskipti:
Reynir Tómas Geirsson, Kvennadeild Landspítalans, 101
Reykjavík.
Lykilorö: Prenatalcare, maternal welfare, exertion, workin
pregnancy.
ness among those delivering in November (67.9%),
compared to those in September (50.6%)
(p<0.002). Parous women with two or more chil-
dren discontinued work less frequently than those of
no or low parity. Gestational Iength among women
working until late in pregnancy was significantly
shorter (mean 274.8 days) than when cessation was
earlier (mean 280.1 days). Women in strenuous jobs
had to discontinue work more often and delivered
lighter babies than others (p=0.003).
Most Icelandic women appear to work in pregnancy
regardless of parity. The majority discontinue work
two months before delivery and even considerably
earlier. Illness, unpaid or paid sickness leave or
selective use of holidays is common. One in six
receive social benefits before delivery. Heavier
work is more frequently connected to lighter birth-
weight and shorter gestation as elsewhere.
Ágrip
Fram til þessa hafa ekki verið til upplýsingar
um hversu algengt er að konur vinni í með-
göngu á íslandi eða hvers vegna þær hætta
vinnu. Erlendar athuganir hafa bent til þess að
vinna í meðgöngu geti haft áhrif á meðgöngu-
lengd og fæðingarþyngd barna, en ekki er vitað
hvort slíkt á við hér.
f óvöldum hópi 407 sængurkvenna á
Kvennadeild Landspítalans í september og
nóvember 1993 voru könnuð atriði um með-
göngu og fæðingu, störf, starfslok, launa- eða
bótagreiðslur.
Meirihluti kvenna (347) var í vinnu á með-
göngu (85%) en 304 hættu vinnu (87,6%), að
meðaltali 65,3 dögum fyrir fæðingu og 10 hús-
mæður gátu ekki sinnt störfum sínum. Konur
sem veiktust í meðgöngunni hættu ekki vinnu
fyrr en aðrar. Flestar hættu vegna veikinda
(59,2%) en hluti nýtti sér sumarleyfi (12,7%),
ef lok meðgöngunnar féll inn í sumarleyfis-
tíma. Marktækt fleiri konur hættu vinnu vegna
veikinda ef þær fæddu í nóvember (67,9%),