Women Exposed to Solvents at Work During Pregnancy Are At Increased Risk of Having Children with Birth Defects

Some women workers, especially in the health care, clothing, and textile industries are routinely exposed to organic solvents that cause terrible birth defects, according to a recent study. Organic solvents are contained in the glues, sizing chemicals, and dyes used in clothing and textile industries, and sterilizing cleaners used in health care.

Medical researchers compared a group of 125 pregnant women who had been exposed to chemical solvents during the first three months of pregnancy to a group of 125 pregnant women who had not been exposed to workplace solvents. Thirteen major fetus malformations, including heart abnormalities, deafness, spina bifida, and clubfoot, occurred in the first group, while only one occurred in the second group. Twelve of the thirteen women with fetus malformations had symptoms of exposure to chemical solvents, including headaches, difficulty in breathing, and irritation of the eyes and/or respiratory system. The medical researchers who conducted the study concluded that the level of exposure in the women that caused these symptoms appears to confer an unacceptable level of fetal exposure and should be avoided by appropriate protection and ventilation. (Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol 281, pages 1106-1109, March 1999)