title: Assessed occupational exposure to chlorinated, aromatic and Stoddard solvents during pregnancy and risk of fetal growth restriction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous experimental and epidemiological research suggests that maternal exposure to some organic solvents during pregnancy may increase the risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR). We evaluated the association between expert-assessed occupational solvent exposure and risk of small for gestational age (SGA) infants in a population-based sample of women in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed data from 2886 mothers and their infants born between 1997 and 2002. Job histories were self-reported. Probability of exposure to six chlorinated, three aromatic and one petroleum solvent was assessed by industrial hygienists. SGA was defined as birthweight<10th centile of birthweight-by-gestational age in a national reference. Logistic regression was used to estimate ORs and 95% CIs to assess the association between SGA and exposure to any solvent(s) or specific solvent classes, adjusting for maternal age and education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 8% of infants were SGA. Exposure prevalence to any solvent was 10% and 8% among mothers of SGA and non-SGA infants, respectively. Among women with ≥ 50% probability of exposure, we observed elevated but imprecise associations between SGA and exposure to any solvent(s) (1.71; 0.86 to 3.40), chlorinated solvents (1.70; 0.69 to 4.01) and aromatic solvents (1.87; 0.78 to 4.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first population-based study in the USA to investigate the potential association between FGR and assessed maternal occupational exposure to distinct classes of organic solvents during pregnancy. The potential associations observed between SGA and exposure to chlorinated and aromatic solvents are based on small numbers and merit further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Tania A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Desrosiers
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Christina C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: North Carolina Division of Public Health, Birth Defects Monitoring Program, State Centre for Health Statistics, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Stewart Exposure Assessments, LLC, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Martha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Centre, Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Olshan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D054879:Halogenation; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D012997:Solvents; C012559:Stoddard solvent