Congenital malformations and maternal drinking water supply in rural South Australia: a case-control study

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6781481

Dorsch, M M; Scragg, R K.R.; McMichael, A J; Baghurst, P A; Dyer, K F

A case-control study, carried out in the Mount Gambier region of South Australia, investigated the relationship between mothers' antenatal drinking water source and malformations in offspring. It was prompted by earlier descriptive findings of a statistically significant, and localized, increase in the perinatal mortality rate in Mount Gambier, due principally to congential malformations affecting the central nervous system and multiple organ systems. Available for statistical analysis were 218 case-control pairs, from the period 1951-1979, individually matched by hospital, maternal age (+/- 2 years), parity and date of birth (+/- 1 month). Compared with women who drank only rainwater during their pregnancy (relative risk (RR) = 1.0), women who consumed principally groundwater had a statistically significant increase in risk of bearing a malformed child (RR = 2.8). statistically significant risk increases occurred specifically for malformations of the central nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Reanalysis of the data by estimated water nitrate concentration demonstrated a nearly threefold increase in risk for women who drank water containing 5-15 ppm of nitrate, and fourfold increase in risk for those consuming >15 ppm of nitrate.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Adelaide, South Australia
• OSTI ID: 6781481
• Journal Information: Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States), Vol. 119:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AUSTRALIA
RURAL AREAS
DRINKING WATER
GENETIC EFFECTS
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
INFANTS
CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
NITRATES
RISK ASSESSMENT
WOMEN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
AGE GROUPS
ANIMALS
AUSTRALASIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CHILDREN
FEMALES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MALFORMATIONS
MAMMALS
MAN
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PRIMATES
VERTEBRATES
WATER
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)