Objective-We investigated self-reported occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs, anesthetic gases, antiviral drugs, sterilizing agents (disinfectants), and X-rays and the risk of spontaneous abortion in U.S. nurses.Study Design-Pregnancy outcome and occupational exposures were collected retrospectively from 8,461 participants of the Nurses' Health Study II. Of these, 7,482 were eligible for analysis using logistic regression.Results-Participants reported 6,707 live births, and 775 (10%) spontaneous abortions (<20 weeks). After adjusting for age, parity, shift work, and hours worked, antineoplastic drug exposure was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of spontaneous abortion, particularly with early spontaneous abortion before the 12 th week, and 3.5-fold increased risk among nulliparous women. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Exposure to sterilizing agents was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of late spontaneous abortion (12-20 weeks), but not with early spontaneous abortion. HHS Public AccessConclusion-This study suggests that certain occupational exposures common to nurses are related to risks of spontaneous abortion.

This large study with highly complete follow-up shows a reduced overall mortality in male cockpit and female cabin crews, an increased mortality of aircraft accidents and an increased mortality in malignant skin melanoma in cockpit crew. Further analysis after longer follow-up is recommended.

Objective We evaluated the risk of first-trimester exposures among nurses and the risk of preterm birth among participants of the Nurses’ Health Study II. Study Design Log binomial regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) for preterm birth in relation to occupational risk factors, adjusting for age, parity, work schedule, physical factors, and exposures to chemicals and x-rays. Results Part-time work (<= 20 hours a week) was associated with a lower risk for preterm birth [RR=0.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.6–0.9]. Self-reported exposure to sterilizing agents was associated with an increased risk (RR=1.9, 95% CI = 1.1–3.4). Other exposures, including shift work, physical factors, anesthetic gases, antineoplastic drugs, antiviral drugs, and x-ray radiation were not associated with risk of preterm birth. Conclusions These data suggest that sterilizing agents may be related to preterm birth, while physically demanding work and work schedule are not strong predictors.