Hjollund N H, Bonde J P, Hansen K S
Department of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital Aarhus, Denmark.
Scand J Work Environ Health. 1995 Aug;21(4):272-6. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.37.
It was hypothesized that the welding of stainless steel involves a risk of male-mediated developmental toxicity because of exposure to mutagenic substances, including hexavalent chromium. The purpose of the present study was to corroborate or refute earlier findings that spouses of stainless steel welders have an increased risk of spontaneous abortion.
The occurrence of spontaneous abortion among 2520 pregnancies of spouses of 1715 married metal workers from 1977 through 1987 was examined. Occupational histories were collected with a postal questionnaire in a previous study. Information on children born live, spontaneous abortion, and induced abortion was obtained from national medical registers.
The proportion of spontaneous abortions was not increased for pregnancies at risk from stainless steel welding when compared with pregnancies not at risk (odds ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.55-1.1). The risk estimate was robust to adjustment for potential confounding effects of maternal age and parity and male smoking and alcohol consumption.
This study does not corroborate earlier findings that spouses of stainless steel welders have increased risk of spontaneous abortion. A reanalysis indicated that earlier findings were probably biased because the job exposure of male metal workers is apparently modified by the outcome of their partners' first pregnancy.
据推测，不锈钢焊接因接触包括六价铬在内的致突变物质而存在男性介导的发育毒性风险。本研究的目的是证实或反驳早期的研究结果，即不锈钢焊工的配偶自然流产风险增加。
对1977年至1987年期间1715名已婚金属工人的2520次配偶妊娠中的自然流产情况进行了检查。职业史是在之前的一项研究中通过邮政问卷收集的。关于活产婴儿、自然流产和人工流产的信息来自国家医疗登记处。
与无风险妊娠相比，有不锈钢焊接风险的妊娠自然流产比例并未增加（比值比0.78，95%置信区间0.55 - 1.1）。该风险估计值在对产妇年龄、胎次以及男性吸烟和饮酒的潜在混杂效应进行调整后依然稳健。
本研究并未证实早期的研究结果，即不锈钢焊工的配偶自然流产风险增加。重新分析表明，早期研究结果可能存在偏差，因为男性金属工人的工作暴露情况显然会因其伴侣首次妊娠的结果而有所改变。
