OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between paternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation and the sex ratio of the offspring.

METHODSWe searched various databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, OVID, Bioscience Information Service (BIOSIS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals and Wanfang Database, for the literature relevant to the association of paternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation with the sex ratio of the offspring. We conducted a meta-analysis on their correlation using Stata 11.0.

RESULTSThere was no statistically significant difference in the sex ratio between the offspring with paternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation and those without (pooled OR = 1.00 [95% CI: 0.95 -1.05], P = 0.875). Subgroup analysis of both case-control and cohort studies revealed no significant difference (pooled OR = 1.03 [95% CI: 0.99 -1.08], P = 0.104 and pooled OR = 0.98 [95% CI: 0.99 -1.08], P = 0.186, respectively).

CONCLUSIONPaternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation is not correlated with the sex ratio of the offspring.

Electromagnetic Radiation ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Paternal Exposure ; Risk Factors ; Sex Ratio

OBJECTIVETo determine the risk factors in the development of central nervous system (CNS) congenital malformations.

METHODSA hospital-based 1:2 matched case-control study was conducted. Each case was matched with two normal controls on sex and residential area, date of birth, within half a year. By means of simple and multivariable conditional logistic regression, 48 factors were analyzed.

RESULTSMaternal exposure to pesticide or having cold with fever, family history of positive congenital malformations, preference eating pickled vegetables, negative life events, large consumption of meat, eggs, beans and milk during pregnancy and paternal exposure to poisonous chemicals were significantly associated with CNS congenital malformations, with odds ratios 16.471, 12.621, 10.246, 7.274, 3.730, 0.229, 5.616, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSMaternal exposure to pesticides, cold with fever, positive congenital malformations family history, preference of eating pickled vegetables, negative life events during pregnancy, and paternal exposure to poisonous chemicals were the key risk factors contributing to CNS congenital malformations, while maternal exposure to big consumption of meat, eggs, beans and milk during pregnancy was protective factors that reducing CNS congenital malformations.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Nervous System Malformations ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Paternal Exposure ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between parental exposure to chemicals and the risk of childhood acute leukemia.

METHODSAn exploratory case-control study was conducted among 201 new cases of childhood acute leukemia under 15 years old who went to 3 children's hospitals in Shanghai, China from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010, as well as 201 sex- and age-matched children (as controls) who went to the child health care clinic or department of orthopedics in the above hospitals. A survey was performed by face-to-face interviews with children's mothers.

RESULTSThe risk factors for childhood acute leukemia might include maternal exposure to total chemicals (diesel oil, gasoline, paints, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers) from 3 months before pregnancy to the end of pregnancy (OR = 2.9, 95%CI = 1.1 ∼ 7.8), paternal exposure to insecticides (OR = 10.1, 95%CI = 1.2 ∼ 82.9) and chemical fertilizers (OR = 9.5, 95%CI = 1.1 ∼ 79.6) within 3 months before pregnancy, maternal working experiences in agriculture and forestry before pregnancy (OR = 8.4, 95%CI = 1.4 ∼ 50.2) and in spinning, leather processing, decoration, and vehicle repair before pregnancy (OR = 3.0, 95%CI = 1.2 ∼ 7.9) and during pregnancy (OR = 3.2, 95%CI = 1.1 ∼ 9.6), and paternal working experiences in agriculture and forestry (OR = 9.6, 95%CI = 2.1-44.8) and in spinning, leather processing, decoration, and vehicle repair (OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 1.1-5.0).

CONCLUSIONParental exposure to chemicals may increase the risk of childhood acute leukemia in their offspring.

Acute Disease ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; etiology ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo identify the risk factors associated with congenital microtia.

METHODSA case-control, retrospective study was performed. A total of 207 cases of congenital microtia and 209 age-frequently-matched controls were interviewed individually according to the uniform questionnaire. The questionnaire included: (1) Essential information about patients and their parents. (2) First trimester diseases and medication of mother. (3) Past gestation history of mother. (4) Family history and life style of the parent. The available data were analyzed by chi-square test and multivariate Logistic regression model.

RESULTSThe factors, such as gender (OR = 5.893), first trimester disease of mother (OR = 34.49) and medication (OR = 4.299), excessive drinking and smoking of father (OR = 4. 347, OR = 4.304), non-primiparous parity (OR = 9.524), abortion (spontaneous and induced, OR = 1.723), low-education of mother (OR = 2.275) were risk factors contributing to microtia in multivariate study. The factors, such as tea (OR = 0.179) were protective factors in multivariate study.

CONCLUSIONSMulti-risks factors are contributing to microtia. Preventive measures according to risk factors should be put forward.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; etiology ; Ear Auricle ; abnormalities ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Paternal Exposure ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVECryptorchidism is the most common urogenital congenital malformations in males, which increases male infertility and testicular tumors. It is necessary to identify its risk factors.

METHODSA hospital-based case-control study was conducted. Cases were 99 boys with cryptorchidism with two matched controls per case were randomly selected. Both cases and controls were interviewed with a uniformed questionnaire by face to face. Conditional logistic regression model was used for univariable and multivariate analysis by SAS6.12 computer software was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their 95 per cent confidence internals (95% CI).

RESULTSMultiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that cryptorchidism was positively associated with maternal common cold accompanied fever in the first trimester (OR = 9.37, 95% CI: 2.25 - 39.09), with threatened abortion in the first and/or second trimester (OR = 4.66, 95% CI: 2.02 - 10.74), maternal preeclampsia during pregnancy (OR = 16.33, 95% CI: 1.40 - 191.20), paternal exposure to pesticides occupationally (OR = 12.79, 95% CI: 2.90 - 56.43), neonatal low birth weight (OR = 5.77, 95% CI: 1.39 - 23.98), and maternal age under 24 years (OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.29 - 4.06).

CONCLUSIONSThe risk factors of cryptorchidism were maternal common cold accompanied fever in the first trimester, threatened abortion in the first and/or second trimester, maternal preeclampsia during pregnancy, paternal exposure to pesticides occupationally, neonatal low birth weight, maternal age under 24 years.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptorchidism ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVEThe aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of paternal Di-N-butyl-phthalate (DBP) exposure pre- and postnatally on F1 generation offspring, and prenatally on F2 generation offspring.

METHODSMale mice were exposed to either 500 mg/kg or 2 000 mg/kg of DBP for 8 weeks, and mated with non-exposed females. Three-quarters of the females were sacrificed a day prior to parturition, and examined for the number of living and dead implantations, and incidence of gross malformations. Pups from the remaining females were assessed for developmental markers, growth parameters, as well as sperm quantity and quality.

RESULTSThere were no changes in the fertility of parents and in intrauterine development of the offspring. Pups of DBP-exposed males demonstrated growth-retardation. Following paternal exposure to 500 mg/kg bw of DBP, there were almost twice the number of males than females born in the F1 generation. F1 generation females had a 2.5-day delay in vaginal opening. Paternal exposure to 2 000 mg/kg bw of DBP increased the incidence of sperm head malformations in F1 generation males; however, there were no changes in the fertility and viability of foetuses in the F2 generation.

CONCLUSIONPaternal DBP exposure may disturb the sex ratio of the offspring, delay female sexual maturation, and deteriorate the sperm quality of F1 generation males.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced ; Animals ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; toxicity ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Plasticizers ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; Sex Ratio ; Sexual Development ; drug effects ; Sperm Head ; drug effects ; pathology

Adenine ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Organophosphonates ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Paternal Exposure ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between autism and prenatal environmental risk factors.

METHODSA case-control study was conducted among 193 children with autism from the special educational schools and 733 typical development controls matched by age and gender by using questionnaire in Tianjin from 2007 to 2012. Statistical analysis included quick unbiased efficient statistical tree (QUEST) and logistic regression in SPSS 20.0.

RESULTSThere were four predictors by QUEST and the logistic regression analysis, maternal air conditioner use during pregnancy (OR=0.316, 95% CI: 0.215-0.463) was the single first-level node (χ²=50.994, P=0.000); newborn complications (OR=4.277, 95% CI: 2.314-7.908) and paternal consumption of freshwater fish (OR=0.383, 95% CI: 0.256-0.573) were second-layer predictors (χ²=45.248, P=0.000; χ²=24.212, P=0.000); and maternal depression (OR=4.822, 95% CI: 3.047-7.631) was the single third-level predictor (χ²=23.835, P=0.000). The prediction accuracy of the tree was 89.2%.

CONCLUSIONThe air conditioner use during pregnancy and paternal freshwater fish diet might be beneficial for the prevention of autism, while newborn complications and maternal depression might be the risk factors.

Adolescent ; Air Conditioning ; Air Pollution ; adverse effects ; Autistic Disorder ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Delivery, Obstetric ; adverse effects ; methods ; Depression ; complications ; Diet ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Income ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Obstetric Labor Complications ; epidemiology ; Paternal Exposure ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to explore the association between periconceptional fish consumption by parents and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intelligence deficiency (ID).

METHODSA case-control study was conducted through a questionnaire with 108 ASD cases, 79 ID cases, and 108 controls. The ASD and ID cases were students from special educational schools in Tianjin from 2012 to 2014. The age- and sex-matched controls were from a high school, three primary schools, and a kindergarten in Tianjin. Multivariate logistic regression was performed.

RESULTSPaternal habit of eating hairtail before fertilization, maternal preference for fruits during pregnancy, and maternal habit of eating grass carp during pregnancy were preventive factors for ASD. Paternal habit of drinking alcohol before fertilization was a risk factor for ID, whereas maternal preference for fruits during pregnancy and maternal habit of eating crucian carp during pregnancy were protective factors for ID.

CONCLUSIONParental fish consumption is beneficial for the prevention of ASD and ID. Meanwhile, the protective effects of fish consumption on ASD and ID differ. More attention should be paid to the combined effect of other food when eating fish.

Adolescent ; Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Diet ; adverse effects ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Fishes ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intellectual Disability ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Paternal Exposure ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Species Specificity

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the association of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke with dental caries among preschool children. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was assessed in terms of urinary cotinine concentrations and pack-years of exposure to smoking by parents and other family members at home. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 405 preschool children aged 3-6 years from two preschools in Japan in 2006. Information on the smoking habits of family members living with the child was obtained from parent-administered questionnaires. Dental examination was conducted to assess dental caries, that is, decayed and/or filled teeth. Urinary cotinine levels were measured using first-void morning urine samples. RESULTS: Overall, 31.1% of the children had dental caries, and 29.5% had decayed teeth. Exposure to current maternal and paternal smoking was positively associated with the presence of dental caries after controlling for covariates. More than three pack-years of exposure to maternal smoking and more than five pack-years of exposure to smoking by all family members were significantly associated with the presence of dental caries as compared with no exposure (odds ratio [OR] = 5.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.17-14.22, P for trend < 0.001 and OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.12-3.58, P for trend = 0.004, respectively). These exposure variables were similarly associated with the presence of decayed teeth (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.23-6.96, P for trend = 0.01 and OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 0.96-3.20, P for trend = 0.03, respectively). As compared with lowest tertile of the urinary cotinine level, the highest tertile of the urinary cotinine level was significantly associated with the presence of dental caries as well as decayed teeth; the ORs for the highest vs. lowest tertile of urinary cotinine levels were 3.10 (95% CI = 1.71-5.63, P for trend = 0.012) and 2.02 (95% CI = 1.10-3.70, P for trend = 0.10), respectively. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that exposure to tobacco smoke may have a dose-dependent influence on the development of caries.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cotinine ; urine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dental Caries ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Parents ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects ; Tobacco Smoking ; adverse effects ; epidemiology