Pregnancy and work: the risks for the unborn child. Consequences on occupational health

Introduction
Many women work while they are pregnant. Their jobs may expose the unborn child. The risks for these children and how they can be prevented were the two issues tackled within the framework of a collective expert assessment conducted by INRS.

Methods
The assessment was carried out in two stages:
- review of the state of knowledge on “Pregnancy and work: the risks for the unborn child” through the study of literature and the analysis of the following risks: chemical, biological, physical work, posture, vibration, thermal constraints, stress, noise, night work or irregular working hours, ionising radiation and electromagnetic waves. This work was performed by experts from Quebec and France.
- meeting of a group of 50 experts from different fields in order to collectively determine whether a risk existed for the unborn child and to put forward recommendations to improve prevention.

Results
The experts issued conclusions for all of the risks, differentiating proven risks from debatable risks. Recommendations covered the need for new scientific and statistical knowledge, multidisciplinary work via networks and better information and training for women, employers, OSH practitioners and physicians, in order to improve the handling of pregnancies in the work environment.

Discussion
Prior to the recommendations, the experts highlighted several principles:
- protecting the child from all hazards present in the work environment,
- ensuring equal access for women to employment and continued focus on the improvement of workstations, which will benefit both men and women,
- taking precariousness into account,
- making specific efforts with regard to small companies.