Speaker: Kristen Van Buren
Organization: Research Epidemiologist 
Job Title: CDC/NIOSH

In this session, we will discuss noise-induced oxidative stress as a potential risk factor for adverse birth outcomes and select disorders during pregnancy. Specifically, we will report findings from a recent study of >7,000 mother/infant pairs from the CDC's National Birth Defects Prevention Study in which we investigated associations between expert-rated occupational noise exposure and multiple adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth, small-for-gestational age infants, gestational diabetes mellitus and gestational hypertension (with or without preeclampsia). Study results suggest that moderate levels of occupational noise exposure (76-84 dBA), below the threshold known to induce hearing loss and require hazard controls, may have an adverse impact on pregnancy outcomes and warrant further study. We will also discuss observed differences in maternal exposure to elevated noise levels, such as those by race/ethnicity, which highlight the need to consider disparities in occupational environmental conditions as potential reproductive risk factors among expectant worker populations.

• Learning Objective 1: Describe how noise-induced oxidative stress may act as a potential risk factor for adverse birth outcomes and select auditory disorders during pregnancy.
• Learning Objective 2: Identify at least one demographic difference between participant mothers with probable exposure to high and low levels of occupational noise, particularly regarding hearing health.
• Learning Objective 3: Demonstrate the importance of collecting narrative job history data for occupational health research studies, emphasizing its relevance for assessing noise exposure and audiological outcomes.

About Kristen

Kristen Van Buren earned her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in occupational epidemiology from the University of Kentucky in 2022, where she was also a Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center (CARERC) Fellow and her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in epidemiology from East Tennessee State University in 2011. She has over 10 years of experience working in public health where she has been involved with cancer prevention and survivorship, preventative screening and health outreach among workers, and community-based participatory research. Her research interests include reproductive occupational health and occupational health equity. Kristen is currently a research epidemiologist in the NIOSH Division of Field Studies and Engineering.

Financial Disclosures: None
Non-Financial Disclosures: None
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