Brief Report
Low proportion of male births and low birth weight of sons of flour mill worker fathers
Article first published online: 21 NOV 2007
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20514
Copyright © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
1097-0274/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=e0f33b687598b5adbbbced84abe7a827fb4a7d56 "American Journal of Industrial Medicine")
Additional Information
How to Cite
Milham, S. and Ossiander, E. M. (2008), Low proportion of male births and low birth weight of sons of flour mill worker fathers. Am. J. Ind. Med., 51: 157–158. doi: 10.1002/ajim.20514
Publication History
- Issue published online: 10 JAN 2008
- Article first published online: 21 NOV 2007
- Manuscript Accepted: 11 JUL 2007
Funded by
- Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- sex ratio;
- birth weight;
- flour mill workers;
- fumigants genotoxicity
Abstract
Background
The Washington State Department of Health has collected and coded parental occupation information on birth certificates since 1980. We used these data to search for possible effects of parental occupational exposures on birth outcomes.
Methods
We tabulated sex ratio, birth weight, and proportions of multiple births, still births, and malformations by mothers' and fathers' occupations.
Results
There were 59 births (22 boys and 37 girls) where the father's occupation was specified as flour mill worker. The sex ratio of 0.373 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.261–0.500) was lower than the mean sex ratio of 0.512. The mean birth weight for flour mill workers' boy babies was 3,180 g (95% CI: 2,971–3,389), compared to an overall mean of 3,511 g for all boy babies. The mean birth weight of flour mill workers' girl babies was 3,602 (95% CI: 3,380–3,824), compared to an overall mean of 3,389 for all girl babies.
Conclusion
The low prevalence of male infants born to fathers of flour mill workers in Washington State suggests that fumigants that they are exposed to are causing testicular dysfunction. The very low birth weight seen in the male infants of flour mill fathers is unprecedented and may be another genotoxic endpoint. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:157–158, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.