Bending Over On-The-Job Increases Miscarriage Risk, Study Says

Key TakeawaysWorking bent forward might increase risk of miscarriageThe risk increases by 36% for every hour spent working bent forwardWalking on the job also increased risk.THURSDAY, Oct. 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Jobs that require pregnant women to bend over could be increasing their risk of miscarriage, a new study says.Miscarriage risk increases by 36% for every hour a pregnant woman spends working a job bent forward, researchers reported recently in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.These jobs included waitressing, farm work, gardening and trade work, researchers said.Jobs that required lots of walking also increased risk of pregnancy loss by 18% for every hour a woman spent on her feet, researchers added. "Losing a pregnancy is devastating for a woman, so if there is anything we can do to help prevent it, it is important that workplaces are aware of how the risk may be reduced," senior researcher Luise Mølenberg Begtrup said in a news release. She is a clinical associate professor of public health at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.For the study, researchers analyzed 800,000 pregnancies among 475,000 women from 2004 to 2018.They linked that data to occupational posture measurements from more than 400 women who wore sensors on their backs and thighs while working. The sensors tracked how much time women spent standing, walking and bending forward across 100 different jobs.Results showed that forward-bending work posed the greatest hazard for a pregnancy, followed by walking and standing work. Walking was linked to an 18% higher miscarriage risk, and each hour of standing work was associated with a 3% increased risk of pregnancy loss. For each hour spent working bent forward, the risk of miscarriage increased by 36%. About 10% of pregnancies ended in miscarriage for all women, but the risk of miscarriage was closer to 14% for women who spent an hour working bent forward, the study says."That is quite a high figure,” Molenberg Begtrup said. “On the other hand, it is relatively rare for people to spend more than an hour in total bent forward during a working day. In fact, the average worker spent only 24 minutes a day in a bent-forward position.”It’s not clear why working bent forward might potentially harm a pregnancy, researchers said."The underlying mechanism remains poorly understood,” lead researcher Dr. Hannah Nørtoft Frankel, a physician at Bispebjerg Hospital in Denmark, said in a news release.“One possible explanation is that bending forward may restrict blood flow to the placenta,” Nørtoft Frankel said. “It could also be that it triggers stress hormones that induce contractions in the uterus, which could potentially lead to miscarriage.”Pregnant women should not be overly worried about going to work, despite these findings, researchers said."In general, it is healthy to remain active and continue working during an uncomplicated pregnancy,” Molenberg Begtrup said. “However, there are occupations where employers should pay attention to whether a pregnant employee spends much of the working day standing, walking or bending forward. In such cases, employers should consider how tasks can be adjusted and work adapted accordingly.”Relatively small adjustments can make a difference, such as taking more seated breaks during the day or providing a chair for workers who might otherwise be required to stand, researchers said.Pregnant women also might swap tasks with a colleague while they’re expecting, researchers said."If someone feels they are exposed to particularly demanding working conditions and is unsure whether these could pose a risk to their pregnancy, they can always be referred for an individual risk assessment and guidance at an occupational medicine department," Mølenberg Begtrup said.The researchers also noted that other factors, such as smoking or a woman's overall health, might also play a role in their risk of pregnancy loss.More informationHarvard Medical School has more about miscarriage.SOURCE: University of Copenhagen, news release, Oct. 6, 2026 .What This Means For YouWorking bent over for long periods might increase the risk of miscarriage..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Bending Over On-The-Job Increases Miscarriage Risk, Study Says

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