Men’s Jobs May Increase Birth Defect Risks of Their Infants

A new study suggests that certain types of jobs that men have may cause their future children to have an increased risk of being born with birth defects.

Researchers obtained the job histories of about 1,000 fathers who had a child with one or more birth defects born between 1997 and 2004 and compared them to more than 4,000 fathers who had healthy children, according to ScienceDaily.

They found that certain types of jobs were linked to an increased risk of having a child with three or more types of birth defects such as working as an artist, photographer, landscaper, food service worker, sawmill operative, driver, and working in chemical industries.

The study, published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, also found that certain birth defects were linked to certain professions.

For example:

• Artists were linked to defects of the mouth, eyes, ears, gut, limbs, and heart
• Photographers and photo processors were linked to cataracts, glaucoma, and absence of or insufficient eye tissue
• Drivers were linked to absence of or insufficient eye tissue and glaucoma
• Landscapers and groundsmen were linked to gut abnormalities

The authors did note that the study had some limitations because it used the mothers’ reports of the fathers’ occupations and the potential misclassification of exposure because of the grouping of different occupations, according to MedPage Today.

If your child was born with a birth defect, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if you have grounds to pursue legal action. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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