Abstract
Background: Previous studies suggested associations between maternal smoking, a source of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other chemicals, and central nervous system and face birth defects; however, no previous studies have evaluated maternal occupational PAH exposure itself. Methods: Jobs held in the periconceptional period were retrospectively assigned for occupational PAH exposures. Associations between maternal occupational PAH exposure and selected rare defects of the face (cataracts, microphthalmia, glaucoma, microtia, and choanal atresia) and central nervous system (holoprosencephaly, hydrocephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, and Dandy-Walker malformation) were evaluated using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a population-based case–control study in the United States. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to estimate associations between each evaluated defect and PAH exposure using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Food and beverage serving, as well as cooks and food preparation occupations, were among the most frequent jobs held by exposed mothers. Cataracts, microtia, microphthalmia, and holoprosencephaly were significantly associated with PAH exposure with evidence of dose–response (P-values for trend ≤.05). Hydrocephaly was associated with any PAH exposure, but not significant for trend. Sensitivity analyses that reduced possible sources of exposure misclassification tended to strengthen associations. Conclusions: This is the first population-based case–control study to evaluate associations between maternal occupational PAH exposures and these rare birth defects of the central nervous system and face.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 404-417 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Birth Defects Research |
| Volume | 112 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Funding
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors would like to thank Devon Collins and Emma Trester-Wilson for their assistance in exposure assessment, as well as all NBDPS collaborators and participants without whom this work would not be possible. This work was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Epidemiology in the Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine through the support of the cooperative agreements under PA 96043, PA 02081, and FOA DD09-001 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by contract 200-2000-08018 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; the Molecular Epidemiology in Children's Environmental Health predoctoral training grant (NIEHS T32-ES010957); and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellowship. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors would like to thank Devon Collins and Emma Trester‐Wilson for their assistance in exposure assessment, as well as all NBDPS collaborators and participants without whom this work would not be possible. This work was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Epidemiology in the Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine through the support of the cooperative agreements under PA 96043, PA 02081, and FOA DD09‐001 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by contract 200‐2000‐08018 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; the Molecular Epidemiology in Children's Environmental Health predoctoral training grant (NIEHS T32‐ES010957); and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellowship.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Department of Health and Environmental Control | |
| Division of Epidemiology | |
| University of Cincinnati, Molecular Epidemiology in Children's Environmental Health | |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | |
| National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | T32ES010957 |
| National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | |
| National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health | NIEHS T32‐ES010957 |
| National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health | |
| Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education | |
| University of Cincinnati College of Medicine | PA 02081, FOA DD09‐001, PA 96043, 200‐2000‐08018 |
| University of Cincinnati College of Medicine |
Keywords
- National Birth Defects Prevention Study
- birth defects
- exposure assessment
- occupation
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Embryology
- Toxicology
- Developmental Biology
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis