Maternal exposure to environmental chemicals and the aetiology of teratogenesis.

Data on exposure of 10,879 pregnant women to various household and agricultural chemicals were obtained by interview; 6,267 of these women were seen both antenatally and postnatally, enabling a genuine prospective study of the association between chemical exposure and congenital abnormalities in the infant. The remaining 4,612 women were privately booked and were first seen postnatally. Statistical analysis of the 2 groups revealed a strong association of malformations with chemical exposure in both groups, even after other known risk factors were taken into account.