Veterinarians have high rate of birth defects

One of the saddest events is having a baby with a birth defect. Unfortunately, veterinarians are more likely to have these babies than are other women. An Australian study looked at birth defects in veterinarians over a 40 year period (190—2000) and found those taking more than 10 X-rays a week and those with occupational exposure to pesticides at least once a week were more likely to have babies with birth defects than were the general population. The study, by Adeleh Shirangi et al, was published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine in May 2009.