title: A prospective-controlled study of pregnant veterinary staff exposed to inhaled anesthetics and x-rays.
abstract: Most veterinary staff are women of reproductive age. They are exposed to "waste" anesthetic gas and ionizing radiation in their workplace, which may endanger fetal safety. Presently, exposure of female veterinary staff to these health hazards has not been adequately addressed in the medical literature. Our primary objective was to investigate the incidence of major malformations associated with occupational exposure to inhaled anesthetics and/or radiation among pregnant veterinary staff. The secondary objective was to determine the rates of other adverse outcomes. We prospectively collected data on and followed-up women occupationally exposed to inhaled anesthetics and/or radiation in veterinary practices in Ontario, and compared them to controls matched for maternal age and gestational age at the time of call to the Motherisk Program. A total of 95 women were prospectively enrolled and followed-up. Among the participants there were 87 (93.5%) and 88 (92.8%) livebirths in the study and control groups, respectively. There were 4 (4.8%) major birth defects in the study group and 3 (3.4%) in the control group. The rates of spontaneous abortion were also similar, 6 (6.4%) cases in the study group and 7 (7.4%) cases in the control group. These results suggest that Ontario female veterinary staff exposed to inhaled anesthetics and/or radiation do not seem to be at an increased risk for major malformations above baseline risk.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Samaer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shuhaiber
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Einarson
authors.forename: Ingeborg C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Radde
authors.forename: Moumita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009313:National Health Programs; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009864:Ontario; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014730:Veterinary Medicine; D000078329:Workforce; D014965:X-Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation