Parental occupational exposure and congenital heart diseases in a Hungarian case–control study

Abstract

Purpose Our study aimed to explore the effect of parental occupational exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the development of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in the offspring, and to compare job-exposure matrix (JEM)-assessed and self-reported occupational exposures with each other. Methods Live-born infants born in 2007–2008 were selected from the population-based Hungarian Case–Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities Study. 577 cases with any CHDs were compared to 1731 matched controls. Parental periconceptional occupational exposure to EDCs was assessed by a JEM and by questionnaire-based self-reporting of parents. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations between parental occupational exposure to EDCs and the entire spectrum of CHDs and by CHD subtypes in the offspring. Kappa statistics were also performed to determine the consistency among JEM-assessed and self-reported occupational exposure of parents. Results JEM-assessed paternal exposure to polychlorinated organic substances, phthalates, biphenolic compounds, and solvents were significantly associated with the entire spectrum of CHDs. Ventricular septal defects were significantly associated with paternal self-reported exposure to pesticides, while atrial septal defects were significantly associated to paternal JEM-assessed phthalate exposure. Paternal solvent exposure was significantly associated with atrial septal defects and right ventricle outflow tract obstructions. JEM-assessed and self-reported exposures to pesticides, heavy metals, and solvents exhibited poor agreement for mothers and slight agreement for fathers. Conclusion Even though parental occupational exposure to EDCs seems to have a minor impact on the occurrence of CHDs, the results of biological and environmental monitoring should be taken into consideration as well.

Paternal occupational exposures and infant congenital heart defects in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

“…Our finding could be due to other combined exposures or observed by chance. Second, as for soluble paint/inkjet printer, the parental exposure to organic solvents, include in soluble paint/inkjet printer, was associated with a two-fold increased risk of infant CHDs in a recent cross-sectional study [ 10 ]. In-vitro study showed that the hexane fraction of ethanol substance, one of organic solvents, reduced sperm motility and viability probably due to disruption of lipid within the sperm membrane [ 11 ].…”

“…A prospective and paired case-control study in Italy showed that the presence of paternal occupational exposure was associated with an increased risk of infant CHDs [ 3 ]. Another recent case-control study in Hungary reported that paternal occupational exposure to polychlorinated organic substances, phthalates, biphenolic compounds, and solvent was associated with an increased risk of CHDs [ 4 ]. In Asia, a case-control study reported that paternal occupational exposure to phthalates and alkylphenolic compound was associated with an increased risk of CHDs [ 5 ].…”

Birth defects associated with paternal firefighting in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

“…9,41 The associations we identified in the current study are plausible given the many exposures firefighters face that could directly or indirectly (i.e., through maternal pathways) increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes in offspring. 14,15,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][42][43][44] For example, firefighters are heavily exposed to PAHs as combustion by-products released during fire response and training, [45][46][47][48] and their postfire urinary levels of PAH exposure are significantly higher than levels observed in office workers and the general population. 49 PAH exposure is recognized to impact reproduction and development through male and female reproductive pathways.…”

“…Relevant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), engine exhaust, organic solvents, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated organic substances, heavy metals, phthalates, and other endocrine disrupting chemicals. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] Given the age, inconsistencies, and sample size limitations of past studies, as well as a recent growth in studies that support associations between birth defects and select exposures common among firefighters, further research on birth defects among children of male firefighters is needed. Our objective was to investigate associations between birth defects and paternal work as a firefighter compared to paternal work in all other occupations and, to control for residual confounding, police officer occupations.…”

“…Recently the epidemiologic literature on the association between birth defects and maternal or paternal exposures that might be common among firefighters has grown. Relevant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), engine exhaust, organic solvents, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated organic substances, heavy metals, phthalates, and other endocrine disrupting chemicals 24–36 …”