Maternal exposure to OR waste gas tied to deficits in child: small study.(Obstetrics)

PHILADELPHIA--Children of mothers who had occupational exposure to waste anesthetic gases in operating rooms during pregnancy may be at risk for minor neurologic and developmental deficits, results of a small study suggest.

"The primary role of anesthetics is to influence the central nervous system of the patient. Anesthetics cross the placental barrier easily So the question is, Does occupational gas exposure influence child development? Our studies suggest that they may and that pregnant women in the OR should be cautious," Navah Ratzon, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the Teratology Society.

Of 80 children born to doctors and nurses who worked in hospitals during pregnancy, the 40 whose mothers worked in operating rooms were more likely to have significantly lower gross motor ability scores than the 40 control children whose mothers did not work in the OR.

Additionally, the exposed group had higher scores on DSM-III-R tests measuring hyperactivity, although the difference between groups was not statistically significant.

The ...