Occupational Medicine Advance Access published online on May 7, 2008
Occupational Medicine, doi:10.1093/occmed/kqn046
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SHORT REPORT |
Health risk in the offspring of female semiconductor workers
1 Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan
2 Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
3 Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
4 Center for Health Risk Assessment and Policy, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan
5 Department of Industrial Management, Aletheia University, Taipei County, Taiwan
Background There are no published studies focusing on adverse birth outcomes or infant mortality in the semiconductor industry.
Aim To investigate whether female workers have higher risks of any adverse birth outcome or death from congenital malformation.
Methods A total of 27 610 female workers had been employed in eight semiconductor companies in Taiwan between 1980 and 2000. Using the national birth registry, their live born children were identified, and then any deaths under 5 years of age with or without congenital malformations were identified by linking with the national death registry. Periconceptional exposure was defined as the mother having been employed in the semiconductor industry 3 months before and 3 months after conception of the live born infants.
Results A total of 24 223 live births were included. No significant association between adverse birth outcomes or death with congenital malformation and maternal employment in semiconductor industry was found either in the period of 1980–94 or 1995–2000.
Conclusions There is no convincing evidence that female workers employed during the periconceptional period in the semiconductor industry had higher risks of having adverse birth outcomes or death due to congenital malformations. However, prospective research is warranted to confirm these findings.
Keywords Birth outcome; congenital malformation; female worker; occupational exposure; semiconductor industry
Correspondence to: Pau-Chung Chen, Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, 17 Syujhou Road, Taipei 10055, Taiwan. Tel: +886 2 3322 8088; fax: +886 2 2358 2402; e-mail: pchen{at}ntu.edu.tw