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Many organic solvents are present in the workplace, and several — including benzene, toluene, and xylene — cross the placenta in animal models. Can these solvents affect pregnancy in women? Finnish investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1670 singleton newborns of women who worked during pregnancy to assess whether prenatal exposure to solvents had any effect on the infants.
A total of 147 women (8.8%) reported exposure to solvents at work during the 3 months before or during pregnancy. Fully 22.0% of those exposed worked in the life sciences or health-associated professions, most often as technicians, pharmacists, or nurses. Women in craft and related trades were the next most often exposed to solvents. The prevalence of sma…