Spina bifida and parental occupation
doctoral thesis
The aims of this thesis were: (1) to identify parental occupations with an increased risk of spina bifida in offspring; (2) to study whether parental occupational exposure to chemicals or radiation during or shortly before pregnancy is a risk factor for the occurrence of spina bifida. In order to answer these questions, an epidemiological case-referent study was designed. After an extensivere view of the literature on risk factors for neural tube defects, with emphasison occupational and environmental factors, methodological issues in the design of the survey are discussed. Subsequently the results of the case-referent study, in which questionnaires were used to assess the occupation of the parents at the time of conception, are discussed and compared with studies conducted in Sweden, Spain and Hungary. The most important finding of the core study was an increased risk of spina bifida for women who had an agricultural occupation around conception. Also, working as a cleaning women was found to be associated with spina bifida, although this association was less pronounced. The results with regard to paternal occupations suggest associations with welders and transport workers. However, occupational risk factors do not account for a large part of the prevalence of spina bifida in the total population.
Topics
TNO Identifier
167471
Publisher
Mediagroep KU
Collation
163 p.
Place of publication
Nijmegen