ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Laboratory work may constitute a possible health hazard for workers as well as for their offspring, and involves a wide range of exposures, such as organic solvents, carcinogenic agents, ionizing radiation, and/or microbiological agents. Adverse pregnancy outcomes in the offspring of male employees in biomedical research laboratories are examined. METHODS: Offspring to males employed 1970-1989 at four Swedish universities were identified via the Medical Birth Register (MBR), along with other pregnancy parameters. Offspring of fathers with laboratory work (n = 2,281) is considered exposed, and of non-laboratory employees unexposed (n = 1,909). Exposure data were obtained by questionnaires to research group leaders. Logistic regression analysis estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Paternal laboratory work in general showed no statistically significant increased ORs concerning birth weight and/or gestational age, but work specifically with radioactive isotopes gave OR 1.8 (CI 1.0-3.2) for high birth weight and a relative risk of 1.2 (CI 1.0-1.4) for sex ratio (male/female). CONCLUSIONS: There was no clear association between periconceptional paternal laboratory work and adverse reproductive outcomes, but use of radioactive isotopes showed increased OR for high birth weight in offspring.
Subject(s)
Biomedical Technology , Birth Weight , Laboratories , Paternal Exposure/adverse effects , Adult , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Odds Ratio , Radioisotopes/adverse effects , Registries , Solvents/adverse effects , Surveys and Questionnaires , SwedenABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate major congenital and neural crest malformations (NCM; craniofacial and conotruncal defects) in the offspring of laboratory employees. METHODS: Data for 1951 females was linked to the Medical Birth Register (3003 pregnancies). Exposure information was based on questionnaires. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: The prevalence of "major malformations" were 2.3% (n = 41; exposed) and 1.9% (n = 23; unexposed). For the major malformations, solvent exposure before the third trimester gave an OR of 1.8 (CI = 1.0-2.9); "laboratory work in general," of 1.2 (CI = 0.7-2.0) unadjusted. OR for benzene use around conception/organogenesis was 5.3 (CI = 1.4-21.1) for NCM. CONCLUSION: No significant risk for laboratory work in general was seen, but there was an increased ratio for NCM relative to solvents, especially benzene. These results are based on small numbers and should be interpreted cautiously.
Subject(s)
Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/epidemiology , Air Pollutants, Occupational/toxicity , Benzene/toxicity , Maternal Exposure/adverse effects , Medical Laboratory Personnel , Solvents/toxicity , Adult , Cleft Lip/chemically induced , Cleft Lip/epidemiology , Cleft Palate/chemically induced , Cleft Palate/epidemiology , Cohort Studies , Craniofacial Abnormalities/chemically induced , Craniofacial Abnormalities/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Maternal Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Medical Laboratory Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Neural Tube Defects/chemically induced , Neural Tube Defects/epidemiology , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Trimesters , Risk , SwedenABSTRACT
Animal studies indicate male-mediated teratogenicity for certain carcinogens/mutagens. Nevertheless, paternal occupational determinants of malformations in humans have been sparsely investigated. Data on male employees at Swedish universities from 1970 to 1989 were linked to the Medical Birth Register. The relationship between major malformations and exposure to laboratory work and to specific laboratory agents/techniques before the third trimester were analyzed using logistic regression. For major malformations, "laboratory work in general" (n = 3237) gave an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.3 (95% CI = 0.8-2.1) and carcinogenic solvent use (n = 2489) of 2.0 (95% CI = 0.8-4.9) around the time of conception. For carcinogenic solvents and neural crest malformations, OR was 4.9 (95% CI =1.5-15.8). In conclusion, the prevalence of congenital malformations was not increased in offspring of males with laboratory work in general (1970-1989). Paternal work with agents such as carcinogens could, however, be of concern.
Subject(s)
Abnormalities, Drug-Induced/epidemiology , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Paternal Exposure/adverse effects , Adult , Confidence Intervals , Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic , Humans , Male , Neural Crest/abnormalities , Odds Ratio , Sweden/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate reproductive outcomes such as birthweight, preterm births, and postterrm births among women working in research laboratories while pregnant. METHODS: Female university personnel were identified from a source cohort of Swedish laboratory employees, and the database was linked to the medical birth register. The first births of the women were included in the analysis, 249 pregnancies among the women with laboratory work and 613 pregnancies among the women without laboratory tasks. Information about exposure to various laboratory agents was obtained from a previous questionnaire investigation at the research group level according to a specific definition. The ponderal index and ratio between observed and expected birthweights were calculated. Logistic regression models were used for analyses of dichotomous outcomes (preterm, postterrm and birthweight). RESULTS: Exposure to laboratory work with solvents was associated with an increased risk of preterm births, the estimated odds ratio (OR) being 3.4 (1.0 < 95% confidence interval < 11.9). An association with work with bacteria was also observed for postterm births (OR 2.7, 1.0 < or = 95% confidence interval < 7.4). CONCLUSIONS: There was a slightly elevated risk for some reproductive outcomes among the women working with certain laboratory tasks, specifically for preterm and postterm births in relation to work with solvents and bacteria.
