CHICAGO (AP) -- Women exposed to certain solvents on the job are 13 times more likely to give birth to a baby with major defects, researchers reported Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers also found an increased risk of miscarriages, low birth weight, fetal distress and prematurity.The study looked at what are called organic solvents, which are used in many industries and trades. The chemicals -- found in paints, pesticides, adhesives, lacquers and cleaning agents -- have been linked to a host of physical and mental problems in adults.
Problems among women exposed to organic solvents were most often found among those who worked in factories, as laboratory technicians, in graphic design or printing and as chemists, according to the study.
The study was led by Dr. Sohail Khattak of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Dr. Richard Schwarz, obstetrics consultant to the March of Dimes, said the study was too small to draw definite conclusions about the risk of birth defects. He also questioned its methods because the study group was selected from women who had called with concerns about pregnancy.
But he said: "It's a red-flag kind of study. We shouldn't ignore it. I suggest it requires a further look."
The researchers looked at 125 pregnant women who had been exposed to organic solvents during their first trimester between 1987 and 1996.