Children whose mothers worked with organic solvents during pregnancy may be at increased risk of subtle deficits in memory, attention and language skills, a study released Monday suggests.

Canadian researchers found that 32 children whose mothers were exposed to organic solvents at work scored lower than others their age on certain tests of neurological and behavioral development.

The findings, study author Dr. Gideon Koren told Reuters Health, indicate “subtle” effects of the children’s prenatal exposure to organic solvents. None of the children, he stressed, had any apparent developmental disorders.

“All of the parents perceived their kids to be okay,” said Koren, of the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto in Ontario.

Still, he called the findings concerning, and said they support measures to minimize pregnant women’s on-the-job exposure to organic solvents - by giving them protective gear, for example, or switching their work duties if possible.

Koren and his colleagues report the findings in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Organic solvents include a variety of chemicals - such as toluene, ethanol, acetone and methanol - that are used, for example, in dry cleaning, medical labs, hair and nail salons, many manufacturing jobs and in occupations involving paints, thinners and adhesives.

It’s believed that the chemicals affect central nervous system development, and in earlier research, Koren and his colleagues found higher rates of birth defects and vision problems among children whose mothers worked with organic solvents during pregnancy. In addition, reports suggest that when pregnant women “sniff” glue or abuse other inhalants, it raises the risk of birth defects and developmental delay.

The new study included 32 children between the ages of 3 and 9 whose mothers had worked with solvents for at least the first trimester. The children’s performances on tests of intellectual, motor and behavioral development were compared with those of 32 children without prenatal solvent exposure.

Overall, Koren’s team found, exposed children scored lower on a number of tests, including measures of verbal IQ, short-term memory, hand-eye coordination and attention.

The differences between the groups of children, Koren said, were on the “subclinical” level - meaning the exposed children did not any symptoms of neurological or behavioral disorders.

He added, however, “there is a reason for concern,” given that wherever there were differences between the two groups, it was the exposed children who were lagging.

According to Koren, women whose jobs require the use of organic solvents should try to reduce their exposure by using protective gear such as gloves, goggles and respirators. Tell-tale symptoms of chemical exposure, he noted, include watery eyes, runny nose and headache.

If an employer does not already supply protective gear, ask for it, Koren advised.

“You’re entitled to it,” he said.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, October 2004.