Study finds dad’s job affects chance of birth defects in child

A new study links a father's profession with the chance of birth defects in a child.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina used data from the US National Birth Defects Prevention Study and found that fathers with certain jobs had higher chances of having children with birth defects.

According to CBS News, the study examined 1000 fathers who had children with defects and 4000 who had children without birth defects.

The researchers asked about the dad's profession three months before conception – while couples were planning to have children – and after the first month of pregnancy – key periods where the father could pass on birth defects.

The most common jobs of the men interviewed included management, sales and construction.

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Jobs that were linked with higher degrees of birth defects included computer scientists, artists, mathematicians, physicists, photographers, landscapers, hairdressers, make-up artists, food service workers, gas, chemical and petrol workers and crane and digger operators, reported Medical News Today.

Other jobs that did not seem to increase the rates of birth defects were architects, healthcare workers, and firemen, among others, reported HealthDay.

Researchers even found that fathers with certain jobs spawned certain defects in children.

For instance, visual artists had children with defects of the mouth, eyes, ears and limbs, while photographers had children with defects in their eyes.

The report was published in the journal Occupation and Environmental Medicine.