Sex ratio of nuclear industry employees' children.

Does preconceptional exposure to ionising radiation before conception affect the health of offspring? Some studies have suggested that radiation exposure might influence the sex ratio at birth, potentially indicating genetic damage. We examined the sex ratio of over 46 000 children born to UK nuclear industry workers, using information on exposure from the workers'individual employment and dosimetry records. We found no statistically significant alterations of the sex ratio, and no evidence that exposure to low-level ionizing radiation at work influences the sex ratio of children conceived after exposure.