A higher risk of congenital anomalies in the offspring of personnel who served aboard a Norwegian missile torpedo boat.
BACKGROUND
In the 1990s, congenital anomalies were reported among children whose fathers had served aboard a Norwegian missile torpedo boat (MTB). The Royal Norwegian Navy asked the University of Bergen to look into this problem as one part of a general health and work environment surveillance.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate any increased risk of having children with congenital anomalies and having stillborn children among the offspring of workers that had served aboard the MTB and to investigate possible differences in exposure and other risk factors between these groups.


METHODS
Data from a cross-sectional study among all current employees of the Norwegian Navy (n = 2265, response rate 58%) were analysed.


RESULTS
The prevalence ratio of having a child with congenital malformations associated with working on the ship was 4.0 (95% CI 1.9 to 8.6). The prevalence ratio of having a child who was stillborn or died within one week was 4.1 (95% CI 1.7 to 9.9).


CONCLUSIONS
Service aboard the MTB was associated with an increased risk of having children with congenital birth defects and having children that were stillborn. The causes of these findings are unknown.
Mageroy
N
N
UNIFOB AS, University of Bergen, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Section for Occupational Medicine, Bergen, Norway. nils.mageroy@isf.uib.no
Mollerlokken
O J
OJ
Riise
T
T
Koefoed
V
V
Moen
B E
BE
D000328:Adult; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008889:Military Personnel; D009326:Naval Medicine; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology