Delivery outcome among women employed in the plastics industry in Sweden and Norway

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700120505· OSTI ID:5600842

Ahlborg, G Jr; Bjerkedal, T; Egenaes, J

In Sweden and Norway separate case-control studies of pregnancy outcome for the period 1973-1981 among female workers in the plastics industry were carried out with similar design. Employment records were obtained from companies producing and/or processing plastics and these were matched with the national medical birth and malformation registers. Within the cohorts of pregnancies during which the mother held employment in a plastics industry (1.397 in the Swedish and 288 in the Norwegian study), cases of stillbirths or infant deaths, selected malformations, or low birthweight (less than 2,000 g) were identified. For each case two controls from the same source were individually matched with regard to date of birth, age of mother, and parity. Exposure data concerning the 44 Swedish and ten Norwegian triplets were obtained from the employers. An increased odds ratio was found for processing of polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastics (95% CI Sweden 1.0-5.1; total material 1.1-4.5). However, processing of cold plastics yielded a higher odds ratio than processing of heated plastics. No increased odds ratio was found for processing of styrene or polyurethane plastics. Since not all of the plastics industries in the two countries participated in the studies and the number of cases was small, the result must be interpreted with caution.

• Research Organization: Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden
• OSTI ID: 5600842
• Journal Information: Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States) Vol. 12:5; ISSN AJIMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
EUROPE
FETUSES
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
MATERIALS
NORWAY
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PERSONNEL
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
PLASTICS INDUSTRY
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
PREGNANCY
PVC
SCANDINAVIA
SENSITIVITY
SEX DEPENDENCE
SWEDEN
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
WESTERN EUROPE