[Analysis of medical decision-making in pregnancy (author's transl)]

A study was conducted into 451 pregnant women who made use of Act No. 242 (GDR) in various phases of their pregnancy. Age, existence or absence of children, occupation, and shift work were obviously of no statistically significant effect on the time at which women decided to take advantage of the legal provision on sheltered jobs. It is expected, however, that some of the characteristics, such as nature of occupation, shift work and even more the number of children, will assume significance with numerically larger random samples. The dates at which pregnant women are assigned to easier jobs were found to depend with considerable significance on the medical doctor in charge, the department or area of employment, and the type of work. These findings can be interpreted as consequence of several factors, the medical officer's knowledge of specific working conditions to which his patients are exposed and objectively differentiated physical workloads. More information will be required on specific shop-floor conditions.