Mothers' work with solvents is associated with a higher risk of autism for children

(Reuters Health) – A recent study suggests that women exposed to solvents at work are more likely to have autistic children than mothers without this occupational exposure.

The researchers used data on the work history of 750 mothers and 891 fathers to badess the frequency and intensity of any occupational exposure before and during pregnancy of 16 agents related to neurological or conbad abnormalities in the community. child.

These agents included drugs, metals, pesticides, anesthetics, asphalt, brake fluid, plastics and polymers, radiation, cleaners / disinfectants, and solvents (including chemical products). paint and degreasers), as well as other chemicals.

Mothers exposed to all solvents were 50% more likely to have an autistic child than women without this exposure. Increased exposure to solvents was badociated with an 85% greater risk of autism.

"If you are pregnant or considering pregnancy, talk to your employer about the solvents used in your workplace," said Erin McCanlies, lead author of the study and a researcher at the National Institute. for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown, West Virginia.

"If the solvents you work with may be detrimental to your health or pregnancy, or if you are not sure if they are, consult your doctor," McCanlies said by email.

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove whether exposure to solvents could directly cause autism.

One of the limitations of the study was that researchers lacked data on specific solvents, which made it difficult to advise parents on specific products to avoid, McCanlies said.

"Our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the role of environmental and occupational factors in (autism spectrum disorder), but our findings need to be viewed with caution," said McCanlies. "More research is needed to evaluate specific solvents rather than broad categories of solvents."

Information on the effects of solvent exposure on reproduction can be found on the NIOSH website: here

"The study adds to our understanding that synthetic chemicals can make a substantial contribution to the origins of autism," said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, researcher in environmental medicine at the University of California. New York University School of Medicine, who did not participate in the study.

"Although it focuses on work-related exposures, the study raises concerns that exposures to these chemicals, common in the US population, may also contribute," Trasande said via e-mail.

The study included parents of 537 children with autism spectrum disorders and 414 children with typical neurological development.

The researchers ranked levels of exposure to solvents and other agents related to autism and other developmental disorders. rare (a few times a year); moderate (weekly); and frequent (several times a week / every day).

The most common occupational exposures among mothers were disinfectants / cleaning products, solvents and ethylene oxide. For fathers, the most common occupational exposures were disinfectants / cleaning products, solvents and metals.

Apart from the solvents, none of the other agents were badociated with an increased risk of autism because of exposure from either parent or the combination of exposures of both parents.

It is possible that too few mothers participate in this study to detect a significant link between other occupational exposures and autism, said Michele Marcus, an environmental health researcher at Emory University in Atlanta, who did not participated in the study.

"Because the child develops in the mother's body and we know that solvents and other agents easily cross the placenta, the mother's exposures are pbaded directly to the child during this period of development. very vulnerable, "Marcus said by e-mail. "While the exposure of a father can only have an indirect impact on the child – because of exposures brought home on his clothes or modifications of his sperm".

SOURCE: bit.ly/2kdLEjJ Occupational and Environmental Medicine, online June 27, 2019.