United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Health Effects
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA-600/S1-84-024 Jan 1985
4>EPA Project Summary
The Role of Spontaneous
Abortion Studies in
Environmental Research
Jennie Kline, Zena Stein, Maureen Hatch, and Barbara Strobino
This project assessed the utility of
studies of spontaneous abortion in
detecting hazards to reproduction
which arise in the work place or the
environment. Emphasis is given to
methodologic issues which are special
to the use of spontaneous abortion as
an endpoint, and to the study of
relatively rare exposures such as those
encountered either in the workplace or
in particular geographic locations.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Health Effects Research Lab-
oratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, to
announce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
Objectives
The objective was to review in a
comprehensive manner the present role
and potential use of spontaneous
abortion studies in environmental
research, in order to describe the
strengths and limitations of such studies
Background Information
Recently considerable interest has been
focused on spontaneous abortion as an
outcome variable in research on the
reproductive effects of environmental
agents. This interest has arisen in part
because studies of spontaneous abortion
appear to have advantages in statistical
power, timing, practicality and sensitivity
over studies of live births for the detection
of hazardous agents.
Approach
The approach was threefold. (1) to
consider the implications of the
epidemiology of spontaneous abortion for
studies of environmental and occupa-
tional exposures; (2) to review studies
which have examined the relationship of
an environmental agent to spontaneous
abortion; and (3) to outline and evaluate
the research strategies that have been
used or that could be used m
epidemiologic studies of relatively rare
exposures.
Conclusions
Studies of spontaneous abortion have
the potential to detect exposures which
operate in a variety of ways, especially
when the products of conception are
available for chromosomal analysis
However, cytogenetic studies of the
abortus require a cross-sectional design
which may not be practical for investiga-
tions of relatively rare environmental
exposures. Without this level of specific-
ity in describing the outcome, studies of
spontaneous abortion will be most useful
in detecting maternal post-conception
exposures which increase the risk of
chromosomally normal abortions, since
abortions of this type comprise about
two-thirds of all spontaneous abortions.
Preconception exposures which induce
chromosomal anomalies would need to
exert a large effect in order to produce a
detectable increase in the overall risk of
spontaneous abortion.
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Jennie Kline, Zena Stein, M. Hatch, and Barbara Strobino are with Columbia
University, New York, NY 10032.
Gunther F. Craun is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "The Role of Spontaneous Abortion Studies in
environmental Research," (Order No. PB85-125466; Cost: $10.00, subject to
change! will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Health Effects Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
* U S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1985—559-016/7886
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
BULK RATE
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EPA
PERMIT No. G-
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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