Maternal occupation and industry and the pregnancy outcome of U.S. married women, 1980.

Data from the 1980 National Natality and National Fetal Mortality Surveys were used to characterize the occupations of women during the year before delivery; to search for disproportionate numbers of adverse pregnancy outcomes in specific occupational groups; and to compare demographic, reproductive, and lifestyle characteristics of employed mothers to those of mothers not employed in the year before delivery. National estimates were derived from the sample through a complex poststratified ratio adjustment procedure. For all pregnancy outcome groups, the greatest proportion of mothers were employed in three industry categories: professional and related services, wholesale and retail trade, and manufacturing; and in four occupation categories: clerical and kindred workers; professional, technical, and kindred workers; service workers; and operatives. Compared with employed mothers of live-born infants, a greater proportion of employed mothers of low birth weight infants worked full-time but stopped working before the third trimester. Compared with unemployed mothers, a larger proportion of employed mothers were between 20-29 years old, college educated, had a total family income of $21,000 or more per year, received early prenatal care, had no previous pregnancy, and drank alcohol during pregnancy. Estimates from this study may be used to (a) provide a better perspective of the magnitude of reproductive health problems, (b) target certain industrial populations for further research, and (c) assist in identifying causes of reproductive failure.