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Risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia following parental occupational exposure to pesticides
  1. Deborah C Glass1,
  2. Alison Reid2,
  3. Helen D Bailey3,
  4. Elizabeth Milne3,
  5. Lin Fritschi2
  1. 1Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. 2Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  3. 3Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Deborah C Glass, Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia; deborah.glass{at}monash.edu

Abstract

Objective To ascertain whether there was an association between parental occupational exposure to pesticides and increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in the offspring.

Method A population-based case–control study of childhood ALL was conducted in Australia. Information about the occupational pesticide exposure of mothers and fathers was collected using job-specific modules. Information on the types and extent of pesticide exposure was collected for mothers and fathers before and around the time of conception, and also for mothers during pregnancy for the index case or control and for 1 year after birth.

Results Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides before or around conception was not related to increased risk of childhood ALL. There was a low prevalence of occupational exposure to pesticides among women that reduced after birth.

Conclusions Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides was not found to be associated with an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the offspring. The study was underpowered with respect to maternal exposure to pesticides.

  • Asbestos
  • benzene
  • cancer
  • epidemiology
  • exposure assessment
  • fire fighters
  • hygiene/occupational hygiene
  • migrant workers
  • paediatrics
  • retrospective exposure assessment
  • women

https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2011-100250

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    Footnotes

    • Funding The Aus-ALL study was funded by NHMRC. LF and EM were supported by NHMRC fellowships, HDB was supported by an NHMRC Post Graduate Scholarship.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval Human research ethics committee approval was obtained from all participating hospitals.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.