Key Findings

Occupational factors associated with your baby’s birth weight outcomes.

We looked at various aspects of the expecting mother’s working conditions, and compared these with the weight of her baby on delivery and also whether the baby was delivered early or not.

Longer working hours and shift work tended to be
associated with lighter birth weights. These findings suggest that pregnancy outcomes might be improved by changing some work conditions of pregnant women.

Niedhammer et al. Occupational predictors of pregnancy outcomes in Irish working women in the Lifeways cohort. BJOG 2009;116:943 -952

Asthma at age 3yrs is associated with the mother’s diet in pregnancy.

We found that plenty of fruit, vegetables and oily fish intake in pregnant women were associated with a lower rate of wheeziness in their children at age 3.

Fitzsimon et al. Mother’s Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy and the Risk of Asthma Symptoms in Children at 3 years. IMJ 2007;100 (8):27-32
Some more findings

Factors influencing immunisation rates

Many social factors influence immunisation rates. Interestingly, boys are less likely to have had their MMR vaccine.

Jessop et al. Socio-demographic and health-related predictors of uptake for first MMR immunisation in the Lifeways Cohort Study. Vaccine (2010), doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.06.095

Also, children who live in the West of Ireland seem to have lower rates of immunisation compared to those living in the East.

Jessop et al. The Lifeways Cohort Steering Group. Determinants of partial or no primary immunisations. Arch Dis Child 2010;95:603-605

Education is important

Mothers whose parents left school early reported poorer health in pregnancy.

Segonds-Pichon et al. Socio-Demographic, Lifestyle and Cross-Generation Predictors of Self-Rated Health in Mothers during Pregnancy. IMJ 2007; 100(8):7-12

What are the factors that influence visiting the GP when children are young?

On average, families made 6 visits to the GP by the time their child is 3. Children of parents with full
general medical services eligibility tend to visit their GP more often, and some have higher rates of asthma.

Fallon et al. Primary Care Utilisation Rates in Pre-School Chil-dren. IMJ 2007;100(8):23-27