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Paternal occupational classification may affect the risk of low birth weight (LBW) in infants, reports a study in the March
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Infants whose fathers are employed in clerical and service work appear to be at increased risk of LBW—but not preterm birth (PB), according to the new research by Reiko Kishi, MD, PhD, MPH, of Hokkaido University, Sapporo, and colleagues. They analyzed birth outcome data on 46,540 pregnant women from an ongoing study of environmental factors affecting children's health.
Reported occupations of the women's partners were analyzed as possible risk factors for LBW and PB in the infants. Professional and engineering workers—the largest major occupational classification—served as the reference group. Infants in the study sample had a 7.5% incidence of LBW and a 4.1% incidence of PB.
After adjustment for potential confounding factors, LBW risk was significantly elevated for infants whose fathers were classified as clerical or service workers: odds ratio 1.19 and 1.21, respectively. A wide range of occupations within these categories were linked to increased LBW risk, including accounting and sales clerks and healthcare and customer service workers.
No major occupational classification was associated with the risk of PB. While the category of "househusband" was strongly linked to increased PB risk, the number of such cases was limited.
Few studies have examined the health effects of working in clerical or service occupations, but available evidence suggests possible effects on depression and anxiety. "We speculate that clerical and service workers experience more depression-related stress than workers in other occupations due to computer-using duties and customer-facing duties,” the researchers write. Previous studies have suggested that high stress may be associated with decreased semen quality.
The authors note some limitations of their study, including a lack of data on how partners' employment status may affect pregnant women's physical and mental health. Dr. Kishi and coauthors conclude: "Further research on the association between the occupation of pregnant women's partners and their children's growth and development is warranted."
About the Author
Dr. Kishi may be contacted for interviews at rkishi(at)med.hokudai.ac.jp