Life style, work and stress, and pregnancy outcome

Several environmental factors affect the fetus and thereby the outcome of p regnancy. Recent studies have confirmed a relation between stress and pregn ancy outcome; furthermore they have indicated that biological measures of s tress may predict risk of complications. Altered sex ratio may be an intere sting way of measuring the effect of stress during pregnancy. Stress and wo rk load during pregnancy seem to be related to time until conception and to becoming pregnant through assisted reproduction. Drinking large amounts of alcohol is hazardous, but drinking one drink per day appears to be safe. T he effect of passive smoking continues to be a matter of debate. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 11:553-556. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.