Spontaneous abortions among veterinarians

Abstract

Objectives The objective of the study was to determine whether female veterinarians have an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and whether the potential risk is related to the type of work veterinarians do. Methods The investigation was a retrospective cohort study among all the female inembers of the Finnish Veterinary Association (N=549). Information on pregnancies was obtained from hospital records from [1973][1974][1975][1976][1977][1978][1979][1980][1981][1982][1983][1984][1985][1986][1987][1988][1989][1990]. The risk of spontaneous abortion among the veterinarians was coinpared with that of all other Finnish women and other upper-level employees. Odds ratios from logistic regression analyses were used as the estimates of the risk ratios. W~S U~~S The risk of spontaneous abortion was 10.5% for the veterinarians. In the 1970s, practicing veterina~ians had an increased risk of spolltaneous abortion as compared with other Finnish women (adjusted odds ratio 1.8,95% confidence interval 1.0-3.1) or other upper-level employees (adjusted odds ratio 2.0,95% confidence interval 1 .I-3.4). In the 1980s, the iisk fell below that of other Finnish women. No essential differetices were observed in the risk between the veterinarians employed in different occupational categories. C O~~C~U S~O~SThe results suggest that the veterinarians had an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in the 1970s, but not in the 1980s. Factors which might have contributed to this decrease in risk include decreases in the prevalence and level of exposure to harmful agents, improvements in the occupational hygiene of the work environment, and an increased awareness of reproductive hazards and the use of sick leave during pregnancy.

Work-related accidents and occupational diseases in veterinarians and their staff

“…A wide variety of agents with known or suspected teratogenic or foetotoxic properties in humans or animals may be found in veterinary workplaces (Steele and Wilkins 1996). The risk of adverse pregnancy outcome or spontaneous abortion has been analysed in several studies (Vaughn et al 1984;Johnson et al 1987;Schenker et al 1990;Steele and Wilkins 1996;Lindbohm and Taskinen 2000), but, thus far, the results have been inconclusive. An accidental self-injection of a prostaglandin compound resulted in a spontaneous abortion, heightening awareness that veterinary practice can represent a human reproductive health hazard (Wilkins and Bowman 1997).…”

Survey of occupational hazards in Minnesota veterinary practices in 2012

“…In veterinary medicine, personnel are at risk for animal-related injuries, needlestick or sharps injuries, acquiring infectious diseases, and exposure to radiation and harmful chemicals that can impact gestation. Studies 28,29,43,50,84–87 designed to focus specifically on veterinary tasks have identified associations between spontaneous abortion and performance of tasks such as obtaining radiographs, recovering animals from anesthesia, and handling pesticides. In the present study, a majority of female veterinary personnel who were pregnant at some point in their careers indicated knowing about and taking necessary precautions while pregnant; however, most of these women also reported participating in activities that could adversely impact pregnancy, suggesting a disconnect between attitudes and practices.…”

Work environment and occupational health of Finnish veterinarians

“…Other surveys have also noted an increased risk of a spontaneous abortion among veterinarians [Johnson et al, 1987;Steele and Wilkins, 1996]. In another Finnish study [Lindbohm and Taskinen, 2000], the risk of a spontaneous abortion among veterinarians in the 1970s was higher than among the general female population. However, this difference could no longer be demonstrated in the 1980s.…”