MATERNAL OCCUPATION DURING PREGNANCY AND PEDIATRIC ATOPIC DERMATITIS

Background and Aims□ Maternal employment during pregnancy has been considered to be associated with prematurity and low birth weight. However, little is known about the effect of maternal employment on the development of atopic disorders. We want to evaluate associations between maternal employment status and atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: We used multistage, stratified systematic sampling to recruit 24,200 mother-newborn pairs from the Taiwan national birth registration in 2005. Maternal occupation categories, working hours, shift work, work stress, and potential confounders during pregnancy were gathered by questionnaires at 6 months of age. Information about development of AD was also collected at 6 months of age. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association of maternal employment status and AD. Results: Work stress during pregnancy increased the risk of AD in the offspring (OR=1.5, 95%CI=1.00~2.95). Those who work during pregnancy increased the risk of AD in the of...