Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2006 Feb;48(2):165-74.
Abadi-Korek I, Stark B, Zaizov R, Shaham J.
National Institute of Occupational & Environmental Health, Shneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petach-Tikva, Israel.
OBJECTIVE: Parental employment in occupations that have potential exposures to organic solvents or pesticides could be associated with the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in their offspring.
METHODS: We explored this hypothesis by studying the association with respect to exposure time windows. Our case-control study included 224 children, 112 diagnosed with ALL and 112 matched controls.
RESULTS: A significantly higher odds ratio (OR) was found between childhood ALL and reported parental occupational exposures. Analysis of exposures of both parents by exposure time windows revealed significant OR during the preconception and postnatal periods separately.
CONCLUSIONS: The results provide support to the association between parental occupational exposures and ALL in their children. These results should be interpreted cautiously because of the small numbers, biases characterizing case-control studies, and the use of hospital-based controls.
* Parental exposure to pesticides had a higher risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (OR- 2.35, 95% CI: 1.10, 5.0)
*There was small sample size for pesticides, 45 cases and 14 controls and the authors recommend a larger study.
