The study of the relation between maternal occupational exposure to solvents and birth defects should include oxygenated solvents. - Université de Rennes Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Occupational and Environmental Medicine Année : 2012

The study of the relation between maternal occupational exposure to solvents and birth defects should include oxygenated solvents.

Résumé

We read with interest the report by Desrosiers et al 1 on the association between maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents and some birth defects. Their case-control study examined occupational exposure to three classes of solvents (chlorinated, aromatic and Stoddard) and found one association--between neural tube defects (mainly spinal bifida) and maternal occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents, but no association with the other solvent classes or with oral clefts. In their discussion, the authors noted that previous findings on maternal occupational exposure to solvents and oral clefts were from European, mainly French, populations and they hypothesised that the inconsistency between their results and these previous studies might be due to different exposure profiles (eg, intensity and solvent formulation). Although this explanation is plausible, another explanation must be discussed: differences in the definition of exposure. Our research team conducted four of the five studies with positive results cited by Desrosiers et al.2-5 All four were population based and included, in addition to the solvent classes considered by Desrosiers et al, oxygenated solvents, for example, alcohols or glycol ethers. Exposure limited to only oxygenated solvents appears to be very frequent among working women: more than half of the solvent exposure group in Chevrier et al 4 were exposed only to that solvent class. Because previous studies found an increased risk of oral clefts to be associated principally with that specific exposure, failure to consider this association could explain the negative findings for oral clefts. Moreover, women who were exposed only to oxygenated solvents are included in the reference ('non-exposed') group here, which would result in underestimating associations with chlorinated and petroleum solvents. For both these reasons, we believe that the failure to consider oxygenated solvents led to underestimating the risk estimates for oral clefts.

Dates et versions

hal-00875943 , version 1 (23-10-2013)

Identifiants

Citer

Ronan Garlantézec, Cécile Chevrier, Sylvaine Cordier. The study of the relation between maternal occupational exposure to solvents and birth defects should include oxygenated solvents.. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2012, 69 (12), 933; author reply 933-4. ⟨10.1136/oemed-2012-100999⟩. ⟨hal-00875943⟩
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