Karolinska Institutet, Department of Dental Medicine, Box 4064, SE-141 04 Huddinge, Sweden.
Scand J Work Environ Health. 2012 Nov;38(6):546-52. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3279. Epub 2012 Feb 10.
Exposure to elemental mercury vapor can impair neurological function as it is neurotoxic in doses higher than usually found in dentistry. Little is known about the potential effects of fetal exposure to elemental mercury among offspring of female dental workers. We investigated cognitive function among offspring of women working in dentistry at the time of their pregnancy.
We compared results for cognitive function examinations taken by the majority of young men in Sweden at the time of compulsory military enlistment (age 17-18 years). Sons of female dentists (N=365) and dental nurses (N=3181) born during the 1960-1970s were compared with sons of female physicians (N=378) and assistant nurses (N=12 667).
Analysis by linear regression showed that sons of dental workers had similar or higher cognitive function test results compared to their matched cohorts.
We found no evidence of poorer cognitive function among male offspring of female dentists or dental nurses.
元素汞蒸气的接触会损害神经系统功能，因为在高于通常在牙科中发现的剂量下，它具有神经毒性。关于女性牙科工作者的胎儿在接触元素汞方面的潜在影响，人们知之甚少。我们研究了在女性怀孕时从事牙科工作的女性的后代的认知功能。
我们比较了瑞典在兵役登记时（17-18 岁）大多数年轻男性参加的认知功能检查的结果。出生于 20 世纪 60 年代至 70 年代的牙医（N=365）和牙科护士（N=3181）的儿子与女医生（N=378）和助理护士（N=12667）的儿子进行了比较。
线性回归分析表明，与他们的匹配队列相比，牙科工作者的儿子具有相似或更高的认知功能测试结果。
我们没有发现女性牙医或牙科护士的男性后代认知功能较差的证据。
