Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the risk of childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors associated with parental occupational pesticide exposure.
Methods: We pooled three population-based case-control studies from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Cases were children below 15 years of age with CNS tumors; controls were matched by gender and age. A general population job-exposure matrix assessed parental occupational pesticide exposure. Logistic regressions estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results: The study included 1361 cases and 5498 controls. Prevalence of maternal occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy was low and no association with childhood CNS tumors was detected (OR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.41 to 1.41). Around conception, OR for childhood CNS tumors associated with paternal occupational pesticide exposure was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.53 to 0.95).
Conclusion: Our results do not suggest a role of parental occupational pesticide exposure in the etiology of childhood CNS tumors.