Managing patients with concerns about workplace reproductive hazards

To find out who uses an occupational reproductive consultation service, what proportion of patients have different types of workplace exposures, and what hypotheses can be generated about barriers to implementing medically necessary job modifications to promote reproductive health.

A case series study was conducted by reviewing medical records at two occupational health clinics.

51 patients (1 man and 50 women) were seen, 10 of whom wished to discuss a future pregnancy and 41 of whom were pregnant. Pregnant women worked with a mean of 15.5 different chemicals, and patients were also concerned about ionizing radiation, biological hazards, electromagnetic fields, and ultraviolet light. Pregnant women made clinic visits at a mean gestational age of 10.9 weeks.

Only one man used the service, suggesting a lack of knowledge about possible paternal contributions to adverse reproductive outcomes. Many pregnant women visited the clinic too late to prevent harm from exposure to some teratogens, so preconception counseling may be of benefit. Cases are presented that illustrate ways in which the primary care provider can assist the patient who may be exposed to reproductive hazards.