Returning to work after childbirth
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN73119486 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN73119486 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | NTR134 |
- Submission date
- 20/12/2005
- Registration date
- 20/12/2005
- Last edited
- 09/10/2014
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Pregnancy and Childbirth
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year
Plain English summary of protocol
Not provided at time of registration
Contact information
Dr Mireille N.M. van Poppel
Scientific
Scientific
Department of Public and Occupational Health/EMGO Instituut
Van der Boechorststraat 7
Amsterdam
1081 BT
Netherlands
| Phone | +31 (0)20 4448203 |
|---|---|
| mnm.vanpoppel@vumc.nl |
Study information
| Study design | Randomised active-controlled parallel-group trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Quality of life |
| Scientific title | Returning to work after childbirth: the effectiveness of the first contact by an executive with an employee during maternity leave on sick leave and work disability postpartum |
| Study acronym | Mom@Work |
| Study objectives | Many women experience health problems during the first year after childbirth. Common postpartum problems are fatigue, disturbed sleep, postpartum depression, back and pelvic pain. Those problems are often perceived as being unavoidable and 'all in the game'. However, frequently these problems lead to limitations in daily activities and to sick leave. In the Netherlands sick leave is higher during pregnancy and the first period postpartum than during other periods. About 30% of the women were absent from work due to health problems after maternity leave in 2002. In the Netherlands, there is no contact with an occupational physician during maternity leave, not even when women experience health problems. Furthermore, women often wait for seeking medical care for their problems, frequently until their maternity leave is almost over. Therefore, the complaints may have existed for a considerable time before an intervention starts, while early intervention after complaints seems to be important for a good prognosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an early consultation by an executive with an employee during maternity leave on health problems and sick leave, and to assess which factors contribute to return-to-work after maternity leave. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Ethics approval received from the local medical ethics committee |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Pregnancy, neonatal disorders |
| Intervention | The women in the intervention group will be consulted 6 weeks postpartum during maternity leave by their executive, and in some cases by a case manager or a staff member of the personnel department. This executive will phone, or visit the women. Prior to this consultation the executive receives an information package. He or she will be instructed carefully to ask questions about the women's well-being, complaints, and return to work. They have to use a checklist when doing this consultation. When a woman has the expectation that she will not return to work after maternity leave due to medical complaints, she will have the possibility to receive a consultation by a staff member of the Occupational Health Services (OHS). The executive will phone the OHS in case of need for medical intervention (or will follow the standard sick-listed procedure of the company). The OHS will call the woman to make an appointment within one week with an occupational physician or other consultant. When a woman has no complaints and/or expects no problem to return-to-work, the executive will do nothing. When a woman has doubts or is uncertain if she is able to return-to-work, the executive will call again after 2 weeks. The executive uses the same checklist again. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Sick leave (during pregnancy and after maternity leave; duration and frequency) 2. Costs (of the intervention, medical consumption, sick leave) 3. Stop working |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Health status/quality of life 2. Complaints (pregnancy-related pelvic and back pain, fatigue and depressive complaints (postpartum depression, distress) 3. Satisfaction with intervention 4. Adaptation of working hours or work tasks |
| Overall study start date | 01/01/2004 |
| Completion date | 01/06/2007 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target number of participants | 600 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Voluntary participation (giving informed consent) 2. Age: between 18 and 45 years 3. Pregnant less than 32 weeks 4. Being employed before and after maternity leave, for a minimum of 12 hours per week 5. Good reading, writing and understanding of the Dutch language |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Delivery before 34 weeks of pregnancy 2. Definitely not returning to work after delivery, meaning one has submitted ones resignation, or end of contract 3. Not returning to the same employer 4. Receiving a disability benefit or having submitted an application for a disability benefit |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/01/2004 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/06/2007 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Netherlands
Study participating centre
Department of Public and Occupational Health/EMGO Instituut
Amsterdam
1081 BT
Netherlands
1081 BT
Netherlands
Sponsor information
Vrije University Medical Centre (VUMC) (The Netherlands)
University/education
University/education
EMGO-Institute and Department of Public and Occupational Health
Van der Boechorststraat 7
Amsterdam
1081 BT
Netherlands
| emgo@vumc.nl | |
| Website | http://www.vumc.nl |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/00q6h8f30 |
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
Body@Work TNO - Vrije University Medical Centre (VUMC) (The Netherlands)
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol article | protocol | 29/03/2007 | Yes | No |
