Health outcomes among offspring of US Coast Guard responders to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 2010–2011

Journal Article · Thu Feb 02 23:00:00 EST 2023 · Occupational and Environmental Medicine

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2022-108714· OSTI ID:2425694

Hall, Clinton ^[1]; Conlin, Ava Marie S. ^[2]; Burrell, Monica ^[1]; Romano, Celeste J. ^[1]; Bukowinski, Anna T. ^[1]; Gumbs, Gia R. ^[1]; Harville, Emily W. ^[3]; Thomas, Dana L. ^[4]; Denic-Roberts, Hristina ^[5]; Rusiecki, Jennifer A. ^[6]

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1. Leidos Inc, San Diego, CA (United States); Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA (United States)
2. Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA (United States)
3. Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA (United States)
4. United States Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC (United States)
5. Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD (United States); Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Bethesda, MD (United States)
6. Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD (United States)

To evaluate the potential for adverse health outcomes among infants born to US Coast Guard (USCG) responders to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill disaster. Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Research programme data identified a cohort of singleton infants born 2010–2011 to USCG personnel in the DWH Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study. Infants were included if their military parent (‘sponsor’) responded to the oil spill during a selected reproductive exposure window (ie, 3 months preconception for male sponsors and periconception through pregnancy for female sponsors), or if their sponsor was a non-responder. χ² tests and multivariable log-binomial regression were used to compare the demographic and health characteristics of infants born to spill responders and non-responders. Altogether, 1974 infants with a male sponsor (n=182 responder, n=1792 non-responder) and 628 infants with a female sponsor (n=35 responder, n=593 non-responder) in the DWH Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort were identified. Health outcomes were similar among the offspring of male responders and non-responders. The frequency of any poor live birth outcome (ie, low birth weight, preterm birth or birth defect) was higher among infants born to female responders (17.1%, n=6) than non-responders (8.9%, n=53); the maternal age-adjusted association was suggestively elevated (risk ratio 1.93, 95% CI 0.89 to 4.16). Infant health outcomes were comparable between the offspring of male USCG oil spill responders and non-responders. Findings were limited by the small number of infants identified, particularly among female responders, and should be interpreted with caution.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0014664
• OSTI ID: 2425694
• Journal Information: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Journal Name: Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 80; ISSN 1351-0711
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
Environmental & Occupational Health
Public