Pregnancy outcomes in women potentially exposed to occupational solvents and women working in the electronics industry.
Associations of occupational solvent exposure and/or work in electronics production with adverse pregnancy outcomes were examined in a large cross-sectional community-based reproductive health study of 1038 California women pregnant between 1980 and 1985. Occupational solvent exposure was determined by two different methods: Bureau of Census codes judged by experts to probably include solvent exposure and self-reported exposure. First trimester solvent exposure classified by either method (n = 52) was significantly associated with spontaneous abortion, adjusted odds ratio 3.34 (95% confidence interval 1.42, 7.81). Among 29 women reporting regular and daily solvent exposure, the adjusted odds ratio increased to 4.44 (95% confidence interval 1.86, 10.58). Work in electronics assembly was significantly associated with delivering a low birth weight infant (adjusted odds ratio 5.38; 95% confidence interval 1.42, 20.46) but was not associated with spontaneous abortions. Further research using biologic monitoring and/or other objective measures of exposure is needed to validate these findings.
Lipscomb
J A
JA
Special Epidemiological Studies Program, Department of Health Services, Berkeley, Calif.
Fenster
L
L
Wrensch
M
M
Shusterman
D
D
Swan
S
S
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000139:chemically induced; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004581:Electronics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009790:Occupations; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects*
D012997:Solvents