Parent's occupation and isolated orofacial clefts in Norway: a population-based case-control study.

PURPOSE Occupational factors have been associated with risk of orofacial clefts in offspring, although data are limited. We explored associations between parent's occupation and isolated orofacial clefts using a population-based case-control study. METHODS Cases were restricted to infants born with an isolated orofacial cleft in Norway during the period 1996 to 2001 (314 with cleft lip with or without palate [CLP] and 118 with cleft palate only [CPO]). Controls (n = 763) were chosen randomly from all Norwegian live births. We considered full-time employment during the first 3 months of pregnancy. RESULTS Several maternal occupations previously associated with clefts showed some evidence of association, including hairdressers (CLP; adjusted odds ratio = 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99-23). Mothers working in manufacturing and in food production had increased odds for babies with CPO (3.8; 1.3-11, and 7.1; 1.5-33, respectively). Among fathers' occupations previously associated with clefts, an association was suggested for woodworking both for CLP (1.7; 0.85-3.2) and for CPO (2.0; 0.82-4.7). Fathers working as professional housekeepers showed substantial increased odds of CPO (12; 3.3-46). CONCLUSIONS Taken together with previous studies, these results suggest that exposures in certain occupations may influence the risk of orofacial clefting in offspring. Specific exposures accompanying these occupations warrant exploration.

[1]  A. Olshan,et al.  Validity of mother's report of father's occupation in a study of paternal occupation and congenital malformations. , 1995, American journal of epidemiology.

[2]  K. Hendricks,et al.  Parental Occupation and Neural Tube Defect–Affected Pregnancies Among Mexican Americans , 2002, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[3]  G. Shaw,et al.  Maternal occupational chemical exposures and biotransformation genotypes as risk factors for selected congenital anomalies. , 2003, American journal of epidemiology.

[4]  D. Stone,et al.  Epidemiology of facial clefts. , 1987, Archives of disease in childhood.

[5]  France Labrèche,et al.  Characterization of chemical exposures in hairdressing salons. , 2003, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[6]  P. Holmberg,et al.  Congenital defects and occupational factors. A comparison of different methodological approaches. , 1979, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[7]  C. Chevrier,et al.  Occupational exposure to organic solvent mixtures during pregnancy and the risk of non-syndromic oral clefts , 2006, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[8]  Tomoko Yamaguchi,et al.  Teratogenicity and developmental toxicity of chlorpyrifos. Maternal exposure during organogenesis in mice. , 2005, Reproductive toxicology.

[9]  S. Chia,et al.  Parental occupations and other risk factors associated with nonchromosomal single, chromosomal single, and multiple birth defects: a population-based study in Singapore from 1994 to 1998. , 2003, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

[10]  J. Attia,et al.  Case‐control study of cleft lip or palate after maternal use of topical corticosteroids during pregnancy , 2003, American journal of medical genetics. Part A.

[11]  A. Jugessur,et al.  Orofacial clefting: recent insights into a complex trait. , 2005, Current opinion in genetics & development.

[12]  K Teschke,et al.  Parental occupational exposures to chemicals and incidence of neuroblastoma in offspring. , 2001, American journal of epidemiology.

[13]  M. Khoury,et al.  The contribution of maternal epilepsy and its treatment to the etiology of oral clefts: A population based case‐control study , 1994, Genetic epidemiology.

[14]  A. Olshan,et al.  Paternal Occupation and Risk of Birth Defects in Offspring , 1995, Epidemiology.

[15]  Sever Le.  Male-mediated developmental toxicity. , 1995 .

[16]  C. Keen,et al.  Effect of butyl benzyl phthalate on reproduction and zinc metabolism. , 2001, Toxicology.

[17]  Hiatt Jl,et al.  Teratogenic effects of nicotine on palate formation in mice. , 1990 .

[18]  F. Bianchi,et al.  Congenital malformations and maternal occupation: a registry based case-control study. , 1997, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[19]  T. Fletcher,et al.  Maternal occupation in the leather industry and selected congenital malformations. , 1998, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[20]  A. Olshan,et al.  Paternal occupation and congenital anomalies in offspring. , 1991, American journal of industrial medicine.

[21]  J. Domingo,et al.  Interactions in Developmental Toxicology: Effects of Concurrent Exposure to Lead, Organic Mercury, and Arsenic in Pregnant Mice , 2002, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[22]  A. Czeizel,et al.  MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND ISOLATED OROFACIAL CLEFTS IN HUNGARY , 2008 .

[23]  J. Little,et al.  Tobacco smoking and oral clefts: a meta-analysis. , 2004, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[24]  T. Inoue,et al.  Teratological effect of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD): induction of cleft palate in the ddY and C57BL/6 mouse. , 2000, Journal of veterinary science.

[25]  L. Gensburg,et al.  Comparison of mother's occupation and industry from the birth certificate and a self-administered questionnaire. , 1992, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[26]  A. Olshan,et al.  Birth defects among offspring of firemen. , 1990, American journal of epidemiology.

[27]  S. Chia,et al.  A Population-Based Study on the Association Between Parental Occupations and Some Common Birth Defects in Singapore (1994–1998) , 2004, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[28]  T. Leino,et al.  Working conditions and health in hairdressing salons. , 1999, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[29]  B. Laumon,et al.  Exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy and oral clefts: a case-control study. , 1996, Reproductive toxicology.

[30]  Fabrizio Bianchi,et al.  Congenital Malformations and Maternal Occupational Exposure to Glycol Ethers , 1997 .

[31]  R. Knill-Jones,et al.  Maternal occupational risk factors for oral clefts , 2000 .

[32]  T. Einarson,et al.  Birth defects after maternal exposure to corticosteroids: prospective cohort study and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. , 2000, Teratology.

[33]  T. Beaty,et al.  Review of the role of potential teratogens in the origin of human nonsyndromic oral clefts. , 1996, Teratology.

[34]  J. Little,et al.  Socioeconomic status and orofacial clefts in Scotland, 1989 to 1998. , 2003, The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.

[35]  J. Sanders.  Inheritance of harelip and cleft palate , 1933, Genetica.