Parental occupational exposure to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals and risk of hypospadias in infants.
OBJECTIVE
Hypospadias is a urogenital birth defect affecting infant boys. Periconceptual parental occupational exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with oestrogenic or anti-androgenic properties may adversely affect male genital development in utero. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between both maternal and paternal occupational exposures to EDCs and hypospadias.


METHODS
This registry-based case-control study considered 1202 cases of hypospadias in children born in Western Australia between 1980 and 2000 and 2583 male controls randomly selected from birth records for whom information regarding parental occupation was available from the Western Australian Maternal and Child Health Research Database. Occupational exposures to seven groups of potential EDCs were independently coded by two researchers according to a validated job-exposure matrix.


RESULTS
Multivariable analysis showed a strong association with potential maternal occupational exposure to heavy metals with an over twofold increased risk of hypospadias (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.3 to 5.2), and women exposed to phthalates were more likely to have an affected son (OR 1.2; 95% CI 0.8 to 1.7). Compared with mild or isolated cases, the risks of moderate-severe hypospadias or multiple defects were increased up to two- and fivefold, respectively, with maternal exposure to most types of EDCs. Paternal occupational exposures to polychlorinated organic (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.8) and bi-phenolic (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.6) compounds were also possible risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings provide preliminary evidence of an association between exposure to EDCs with oestrogenic or anti-androgenic properties and increased risk of hypospadias.
Nassar
Natasha
N
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia. natasha.nassar@sydney.edu.au
Abeywardana
Prashan
P
Barker
Andrew
A
Bower
Carol
C
D000328:Adult; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D052244:Endocrine Disruptors