Some chemicals can circulate in a mother s blood, pass through the placenta, and reach the fetus.
Other hazardous agents can affect the overall health of a pregnant woman and reduce the delivery of nutrients to the fetus. Substances can be brought home on workers clothes, shoes, or in their cars which can affect the health of other family members. These exposures can include chemical, physical, and biological agents. Substances and activities that may disrupt the normal hormonal environment of the reproductive system, such as shift work or pesticides that possess estrogenic activity, also need evaluation. Physical factors such as prolonged standing, reaching, or lifting, or the interactive effects of workplace stressors and exposures on pregnancy and fertility have not yet been rigorously investigated.