Risk of Central Nervous System Tumors in Children Related to Parental Occupational Pesticide Exposures in three European Case-Control Studies.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors associated with parental occupational pesticide exposure. We pooled three population-based case-control studies from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Cases were children below 15 years of age with CNS tumors; controls were matched by gender and age. A general population job-exposure matrix assessed parental occupational pesticide exposure. Logistic regressions estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The study included 1361 cases and 5498 controls. Prevalence of maternal occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy was low and no association with childhood CNS tumors was detected (OR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.41 to 1.41). Around conception, OR for childhood CNS tumors associated with paternal occupational pesticide exposure was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.53 to 0.95). Our results do not suggest a role of parental occupational pesticide exposure in the etiology of childhood CNS tumors.