A new study has found that women who move house during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of premature labour.
The study, which was published by the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, found that moving in the first three months of pregnancy can increase the risk of having a premature baby compared to women who stayed in their current home.
Scientists in the United States analysed data from 30,000 mums who moved in the early stages of pregnancy and compared it to data from 120,000 mums who didn’t move.
Expectant mums who did move increased their risk of premature birth from 6.4 percent to 9.1 percent.
Their risk of low birthweight was increased from 4.5 percent to 6.4 percent.
The team stated that the stress of moving may be the main trigger, “Our results yield important insights regarding moving during pregnancy.
"Regardless of whether the negative impact of moving is driven by the stress from the move itself, stressful situations leading to a move, or disruption of care because of the move, asking patients about plans to move and using that as an opportunity to counsel patients on stress mitigating techniques and care continuity may be beneficial.”
A birth is considered 'pre-term' when a baby is born before 37 weeks. These days, premature babies have much better chances of surviving and developing healthily without any serious long-term complications.
Premature babies often have massive hurdles to overcome, but they are tougher than they look. Click here for a basic guide to caring for premature newborns, both in hospital and at home.
