Negative effects of manual handling of burdens on pregnancy outcomes are not elucidated in Finland. This study examines the association between perinatal outcomes and occupational exposure to manual handling of burdens.
The study cohort was identified from the Finnish Medical Birth Register (MBR, 1997-2014) and information on exposure from the Finnish job-exposure matrix (FINJEM) 1997-2009. The cohort included all singleton births of mothers who were classified as 'service and care workers' representing the exposure group (n=74 286) and 'clerks' as the reference (n=13 873). Study outcomes were preterm birth (PTB) (