The study, which was carried out by the Inserm institute in Rennes, Northern France, looked into exposure to solvents in a range of occupations that included beauticians and hairdressers, as well as nurses, chemists and biologists.
The results of the study showed that out of all of the pregnancies 118 babies were born with at least one congenital abnormality, a figure claimed to be well above average.
The women were recruited by the scientists at the end of 2005, when they were all less than 19 weeks pregnant, and their progress was tracked throughout their pregnancy.
Linking abnormalities with solvents
The aim of the study was to determine whether or not there is a link between occupational exposure to solvents during pregnancy and the risk of congenital abnormalities.
The study also took into account sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, medical history and disease history.
Hairdressers and beauticians are exposed to a variety of solvents in beauty products, but most commonly those from hairspray and hairstyling products, as well as solvents used in nail varnish.
The study, which was published in the pier reviewed Occupations and Environmental Medicine Journal, showed that 30.2 per cent of the women in the study declared regular exposure to at least one product that contained solvents, while 21 per cent said they had medium-frequency exposure.
Clear evidence of increased risk
The scientists say that the level of exposure to solvents while pregnant, when compared with the rate of congenital malformations, showed a clear pattern of increased risk of problems.
Likewise, the results showed that the risk of problems such as oral clefts, urinary malformations and male genital malformations, increased in direct correlation with the level of exposure to solvents in pregnant working women from specific sub groups in the study.
The scientists said that the conclusion of their study clearly points to a correlation between exposure to solvents while pregnant and the risk of major malformations.