A recent study published in the journal Human Reproduction has revealed a potential link between job loss, whether experienced by a pregnant woman or her partner and an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. While the research identifies an association between job loss and a heightened likelihood of pregnancy loss, it does not definitively establish that losing one’s job directly causes such outcomes.
The study emphasizes the need for further investigation to explore the causal factors behind this relationship. The research was led by Dr. Selin Köksal, affiliated with the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex, UK. It underlines that their findings should be viewed as highlighting an association rather than proving a causal link between job loss and pregnancy loss.
Dr. Köksal stressed the importance of delving deeper into this matter to ascertain whether losing one’s job indeed contributes to an increased risk of pregnancy loss. She expressed the intention to analyze socioeconomic factors influencing pregnancy loss in contexts where comprehensive population data are accessible through administrative records.
This data can potentially unveil solid causal links between job loss and pregnancy loss and identify specific socioeconomic groups at heightened risk, such as economically vulnerable employees. The study is grounded in data drawn from the “Understanding Society” survey, encompassing 40,000 households in the UK between 2009 and 2022. Within this dataset, researchers identified 8,142 pregnancies for which they had complete information regarding conception dates and pregnancy outcomes.Â
Among these pregnancies, approximately 11.6% ended in miscarriages, potentially an underestimate as some pregnancies do not survive beyond the first month and, therefore, remain undetected. Additionally, there were 38 recorded cases of stillbirths, representing around 0.5% of all conceptions, consistent with official statistics on stillbirths in the UK.Â
Notably, out of the 136 women who experienced job loss, either personally or through their partners, 32 (23.5%) suffered miscarriages, and one (0.7%) had a stillbirth. In contrast, among the 8,006 women who were not affected by job loss, 915 (10.4%) experienced miscarriages, and 37 (0.5%) had stillbirths.Â
Co-author of the study, Dr. Alessandro Di Nallo from the Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy, proposed several potential reasons for these associations. Stress, reduced access to prenatal care, or lifestyle changes are all plausible factors contributing to the observed link between job loss and pregnancy loss.
Dr. Di Nallo’s prior research suggested that job loss could decrease the likelihood of couples having children, possibly because economic uncertainty prompts individuals to postpone their family plans. Stress, often triggered by job loss, can lead to a physiological response that involves the release of hormones known to increase the risk of miscarriage or premature delivery.Â
Moreover, the financial constraints following job loss may limit access to and compliance with prenatal care, potentially delaying the detection of at-risk pregnancies or leaving them undetected. Additionally, the emotional distress stemming from job loss might lead to unhealthy behaviors such as increased alcohol consumption, smoking, or poor dietary choices, further increasing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Â
In the UK, labor market legislation offers substantial protection for pregnancy, but these protections do not extend to the partners of pregnant women who may be dismissed from their jobs without notice. Dr. Köksal proposed extending job protection to workers whose partners are pregnant, as their job stability is equally crucial during pregnancy.Â
Despite the valuable insights provided by this study, it has certain limitations, including potential biases in self-reported data for pregnancy and job loss, as well as the possibility of other correlated factors influencing both job loss and pregnancy loss. Additionally, the study does not explore whether the observed associations hold true for different socioeconomic groups.Â
Journal Reference Â
Alessandro Di Nallo, Selin Köksal, Job loss during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, Human Reproduction, 2023;, dead183, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead183Â
