A new concise guideline on pregnancy and work, aimed at clinicians who may be asked by their patients about the risks of undertaking physical activity at work while pregnant, is being developed by the Health and Work Development Unit (HWDU).
The guideline and accompanying advice sheets are now open for public consultation. Although the guideline is aimed primarily at doctors, HWDU would welcome comments on the recommendations contained in this guideline from a wide range of stakeholders, including patients.
Dr Siân Williams, clinical director of HWDU explains:
Most jobs will expose workers to one or more of the following activities: lifting, standing, long hours, hard physical work or shift work. Female employees who become pregnant may have concerns about the effect that such work might have on their pregnancy, and often raise this with their doctors. This guideline is based on a major new review of the literature. The recommendations cover whether exposure to these activities at work could increase the risk of common adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage and pre-term delivery. The guideline is aimed primarily at doctors who may be asked by their patients for advice on whether it is safe to continue such activities at work.
The consultation is open for public comment from 1 October to 18 October 2012. To download the draft guidance and comment, please visit http://rcp.ac/pccg
For further information please contact the Health and Work Development Unit on +44 (0)20 3075 1585, or email hwdu@rcplondon.ac.uk