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Occupational and environmental risks of spontaneous abortions around a smelter
Author(s) -
Wulff Marianne,
Högberg Ulf,
Stenlund Hans
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.10036
Subject(s) - medicine , abortion , logistic regression , environmental health , demography , occupational exposure , pregnancy , genetics , sociology , biology
Background This study represents part of a follow‐up study on reproductive outcome around a smelter in Sweden. Methods Employees at the smelter, a random sample including neighbors of the smelter and referents were analyzed by a register study, covering 1982–1990, a questionnaire study performed in 1992 and a case‐referent study with cases of spontaneous abortions and live borns as referents. Risk factors were studied by logistic regression. A validity‐study between register and questionnaire data on spontaneous abortions and legal abortions was completed. Results The studies showed no risk increase for the exposed groups of smelter workers and neighbors compared to the reference group, 10, 11, and 12%, respectively. A validation of the data on abortions between register and questionnaire data showed good agreement. Conclusions We found no increase of spontaneous abortion associated to smelter work or to living close to the smelter which could be a result of radically reduced emissions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:131–138, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.