New Link to Birth Defects: Dad’s Job

Certain jobs held by men in the months before they conceive a child may increase the risk of birth defects, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed information from more than 14,000 fathers whose jobs fit into at least one of 63 categories.

The study found certain jobs were linked with an increased risk of multiple types of birth defects in children. These jobs included: mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists; artists; photographers and photo processors; food service workers; landscapers and groundskeepers; hairdressers and makeup artists; office and administration support workers; sawmill operatives; those working with oil and gas; those working in chemical industries; printers; those operating cranes and diggers; and drivers.
The study is published  (July 17) in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.