[Sick-listing in pregnancy. Extent, diagnostic pattern and the issuing authority]

Out-of a study population of 1127 women who were delivered at Sct. Maria Hospital, Vejle 993 (88.1%) had had relations with the labour market during their pregnancy. 43% of these 993 women were sicklisted in average 8.4 weeks apart from their legal or agreed leave of four or eight weeks prior to the expected date of delivery. The diagnostic panorama was dominated by four diagnoses: 1) Bleeding, 2) threatening premature birth, 3) back pain or 4) symphysiolysis. These diagnoses could account for half the total number of weeks of sicklisting, and were involved in one quarter of the women sicklisted. In accordance with the intended role of the family physician, the majority of the sicklistings were issued by this instance.