Outcome of pregnancy among women living near petrochemical industries in Sweden.

The association between exposure to emissions from petrochemical industries and outcome of pregnancy was examined in a small area of Sweden. The study was based largely, but not entirely, on questionnaire data and evaluated the pregnancies which occurred between the end of 1963 and 30 June 1981 for a sample of 1400 women born between 1935 and 1960. In addition to the questionnaire study, information on all infants born between 1973 and 1981 in this area was obtained from central registers. The miscarriage rate was slightly elevated in the exposed area (OR = 1.15, 0.75-1.76, 95% confidence interval). While a statistically significant increase in miscarriages was found for a small subset of women who worked for one of the petrochemical companies during pregnancy (OR = 6.6, 2.3-19.2), the overall results did not support the hypothesis that ambient community exposures were associated with an increased risk of unfavourable pregnancy outcome.