Journal article
Maternal occupation and the risk of major birth defects: A follow-up analysis from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
International journal of hygiene and environmental health, Vol.216(3), pp.317-323
06/2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2012.05.006
PMCID: PMC3824611
PMID: 22695106
Abstract
This study further examined the association between selected maternal occupations and a variety of birth defects identified from prior analysis and explored the effect of work hours and number of jobs held and potential interaction between folic acid and occupation. Data from a population-based, multi-center case–control study was used. Analyses included 45 major defects and specific sub-occupations under five occupational groups: healthcare workers, cleaners, scientists, teachers and personal service workers. Both logistic regression and Bayesian models (to minimize type-1 errors) were used, adjusted for potential confounders. Effect modification by folic acid was also assessed. More than any other occupation, nine different defects were positively associated with maids or janitors [odds ratio (OR) range: 1.72–3.99]. Positive associations were also seen between the following maternal occupations and defects in their children (OR range: 1.35–3.48): chemists/conotruncal heart and neural tube defects (NTDs), engineers/conotruncal defects, preschool teachers/cataracts and cleft lip with/without cleft palate (CL/P), entertainers/athletes/gastroschisis, and nurses/hydrocephalus and left ventricular outflow tract heart defects. Non-preschool teachers had significantly lower odds of oral clefts and gastroschisis in their offspring (OR range: 0.53–0.76). There was a suggestion that maternal folic acid use modified the effects with occupations including lowering the risk of NTDs and CL/P. No consistent patterns were found between maternal work hours or multiple jobs by occupation and the risk of birth defects. Overall, mothers working as maids, janitors, biologists, chemists, engineers, nurses, entertainers, child care workers and preschool teachers had increased risks of several malformations and non-preschool teachers had a lower risk of some defects. Maternal folic acid use reduced the odds of NTDs and CL/P among those with certain occupations. This hypothesis-generating study will provide clues for future studies with better exposure data.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Maternal occupation and the risk of major birth defects: A follow-up analysis from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
- Creators
- Shao Lin - Center for Environmental Health, New York State Department of Health, Troy, NY 12180, USAMichele L Herdt-Losavio - Center for Environmental Health, New York State Department of Health, Troy, NY 12180, USABonnie R Chapman - Center for Environmental Health, New York State Department of Health, Troy, NY 12180, USAJean-Pierre Munsie - Center for Environmental Health, New York State Department of Health, Troy, NY 12180, USAAndrew F Olshan - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Epidemiology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USACharlotte M Druschel - Center for Environmental Health, New York State Department of Health, Troy, NY 12180, USANational Birth Defects Prevention Study
- Contributors
- P Romitti (Contributor) - University of Iowa, Epidemiology
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- International journal of hygiene and environmental health, Vol.216(3), pp.317-323
- Publisher
- Elsevier GmbH
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijheh.2012.05.006
- PMID
- 22695106
- PMCID
- PMC3824611
- ISSN
- 1438-4639
- eISSN
- 1618-131X
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/2013
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Biostatistics
- Record Identifier
- 9984213372002771
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