Children of male spray painters: weight and length at birth

The course and outcome of the pregnancies of the wives of 80 spray painters and 80 electronics workers were recorded from birth registers, hospital records, and a questionnaire. The two groups of men had previously been subjected to psychological, psychiatric, neurophysiological, and neurological tests. The variables recorded were occupational exposure to solvents; number of births, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages; weight, length, and malformations of the newborn children; duration of the pregnancies; birth complications; and neonatal hospital treatment. The mean length and weight of the children of spray painters at birth were slightly lower than those of the children of electronics workers. No differences were recorded for serious complications of pregnancy, malformations, or clinical course after birth.