The study, led by Ewa Jarosz and published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, points to commute time as a modifiable environmental factor that may influence pregnancy loss.
Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. It is the most common form of complications, and affects one in five pregnancies. Known risk factors include prolonged standing, exposure to harmful chemicals and shift work.
Jarosz said daily travel to work has received little attention despite being part of many women’s routines and bringing physical, environmental and psychological strain.
“We decided to check whether the length and regularity of commuting, which combine stress, environmental exposure, and fatigue, also play a role,” she said.
Jarosz, working with Chen Luo and Anna Matysiak, analyzed data from the German longitudinal survey Pairfam, which tracks individuals over time.
The team focused on employed women of reproductive age. They accounted for age, body mass index, work pattern, and working hours to isolate the effect of commuting from other predictors of pregnancy loss.
This work carries on from the team's ongoing research into psychosocial factors which may contribute to early pregnancy loss.
The results showed that as commute time increased, miscarriage risk rose. Participants whose commute took under 10 minutes had a clearly lower risk than those traveling 30 minutes or more.
The association was stronger among women who commuted every day.
Jarosz said this suggests that regular, long-term exposure to stress, fatigue and traffic-related pollution may raise the likelihood of miscarriage.
Traffic pollution is a known hazard in pregnancy. Nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter can affect the cardiovascular and hormonal systems, which are important for sustaining pregnancy.
“Time spent in traffic means breathing more pollutants. If this happens every day over a long period, it can matter,” Jarosz said.
The researcher linked the findings to patterns seen during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when working from home became widespread. She noted studies that reported slightly higher fertility in that period and said women working remotely were more likely to give birth.
She argued that remote or hybrid arrangements may support women’s health by reducing stress and preserving time for rest and prenatal care.
The authors emphasized practical implications. Commute length and frequency can often be adjusted, unlike age or long-standing health conditions.
Jarosz said remote or hybrid work could be considered, especially for women at higher risk, including those who are older, have elevated BMI, or have a history of miscarriage.
Where remote work is not feasible, she pointed to options such as shorter workweeks or flexible scheduling in sectors such as hairdressing, hospitality and retail.
The study comes amid falling birth rates in developed countries, including Poland. Jarosz said identifying even small, actionable factors can help shape public health policy.
The research team plans a pilot clinical project meant to test whether changing daily routines translates into fewer miscarriages. The trial would ask one group of women to limit commuting while another maintains usual travel.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, epc2024.eaps.nl