RESUMO
A prospective study examined the effects of maternal occupation on the birthweight of infants of Hispanic women. The study population consisted of 1,040 pregnant women enrolled for prenatal care in two rural health care centers in California between 1982 and 1984. Birthweights of infants were examined after classifying these women into three groups: (1) 255 mothers who did agricultural work, (2) 134 mothers who worked in nonagricultural jobs, and (3) 651 mothers who did not work during pregnancy. Prenatal interviews and medical records revealed medical, social, and occupational histories of the mothers. Stepwise linear regression analyses, using the backward elimination method, were conducted for some exposure models to determine whether work category influenced birthweight after controlling for confounders. The incidence of low birthweight and mean birthweights did not vary significantly with work status.
Assuntos
Agricultura , Peso ao Nascer , Hispânico ou Latino , Mulheres Trabalhadoras , Mulheres , California , Feminino , Idade Gestacional , Humanos , Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso , Recém-Nascido , Recém-Nascido Prematuro , México/etnologia , Gravidez , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Pennwalt Inc., a multinational chemical and pharmaceutical firm based in the United States, operates a chloralkali plant in Managua, Nicaragua. This plant utilizes elemental mercury in the production of chlorine and caustic soda for markets throughout Central America. The plant was recently found to be contaminating the waters of Lake Managua (on which the plant is located) with 2 to 4 tons of inorganic mercury effluent per year-over 40 tons in the 13-year history of the plant. Examination of the 152 workers employed in the plant showed that 56(37 percent) were suffering symptoms and signs of mercury poisoning, including tremors (in 45), memory and attention deficits (in 45) and paresthesias (in 52). Levels of airborne mercury vapor in the plant were found to range as high as 600 microgram/m3. (The airborne standard set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is 100 microgram/m3.) Workers in the plant had never been alerted to the hazards of mercury. The plant was found to be in deteriorated condition, with no recent investments in maintenance or modern safety equipment. It is reported that the parent corporation, Pennwalt, has been withdrawing capital from the operation (and from Nicaragua) since the fall of the Somoza regime.