WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- The kind of work a father does may affect the risk of birth defects in his children, claims a study in the September issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore examined data about 238,000 babies born in Singapore from 1994 to 1998. They found that fathers' jobs seemed to have a major impact on the risk of children's birth defects.
Babies born to fathers who were clerical workers were 2.5 times more likely to be born with heart defects than babies born to fathers who were senior officers and managers.
Children born to fathers classified as production craftsmen had double the risk of heart defects and triple the risk of relatively minor congenital musculoskeletal deformities.
Babies born to fathers who worked as plant and machine operators and assemblers were 2.5 times more likely to have heart defects, three times more likely to have musculoskeletal defects, and more than five times more likely to have urinary system defects.
The study identified only one major relationship between mothers' jobs and increased risk of birth defects. The babies of mothers classified as professionals were 3.5 times more likely to have urinary system defects.
More information
The March of Dimes has more about birth defects.
