Table 3

 Crude and adjusted* odds ratios for reproductive outcomes by tertiles of model predicted exposure to toluene (mg/m3) at three months before pregnancy among 381 male painters exposed to organic solvents and 300 non-exposed male carpenters

Outcome variableCarpentersPainters, exposure tertile†
Low (0.17 to 0.38)Intermediate (0.38 to 1.02)High (1.03 to 4.66)
Obs, reported number of cases; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.
*Adjusted for year of pregnancy, maternal age at conception, paternal smoking and alcohol use before pregnancy, and maternal alcohol use, smoking, chemical occupational exposure, physical occupational exposure, and medication use during pregnancy.
†Estimated long term average exposure to toluene (mg/m3), used as a marker for exposure to organic solvents.
‡For the adjusted odds ratios, the intermediate and high exposed workers were combined in order to provide a valid model fit.
¶Adjusted for gestational age.
Number of subjects300127126128
Prolonged TTP
    Obs33181513
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.01.3 (0.7–2.4)1.1 (0.6–2.1)0.9 (0.5–1.9)
    OR–adjusted (95% CI)1.01.2 (0.5–2.5)1.1 (0.5–2.2)1.1 (0.5–2.7)
Spontaneous abortion
    Obs101010
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.02.5 (1.0–6.2)0.2 (0.0–1.7)
    OR–adjusted‡ (95% CI)1.01.3 (0.5–3.4)0.4 (0.0–3.2)
Preterm birth
    Obs21111412
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.01.3 (0.6–2.8)1.5 (0.7–3.0)1.2 (0.6–2.5)
    OR–adjusted (95% CI)1.01.6 (0.7–3.9)1.5 (0.7–3.2)0.8 (0.3–2.0)
Low birth weight¶
    Obs2191418
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.00.9 (0.4–2.3)1.3 (0.6–2.9)2.2 (1.0–4.6)
    OR–adjusted (95% CI)1.01.5 (0.5–4.3)1.6 (0.7–3.8)1.9 (0.8–4.7)
Birth defects—all
    Obs1191413
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.02.1 (0.8–5.1)3.0 (1.3–6.8)2.6 (1.1–5.9)
    OR–adjusted (95% CI)1.02.1 (0.7–5.9)3.0 (1.3–7.0)2.2 (0.8–6.0)
Congenital malformations
    Obs2744
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.09.0 (1.8–44.0)4.4 (0.8–24.4)4.2 (0.8–23.2)
    OR–adjusted (95% CI)1.06.8 (1.3–35.9)3.9 (0.6–24.5)8.9 (0.8–95.9)
Functional developmental disorders
    Obs92109
    OR–crude (95% CI)1.00.5 (0.1–2.5)2.5 (1.0–6.4)2.1 (0.8–5.5)
    OR–adjusted (95% CI)1.00.4 (0.0–3.2)2.9 (1.1–7.7)1.5 (0.5–4.6)