STUDY ON THE ETIOLOGY OF CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES, ESPECIALLY MATERNAL ENVIRONMENTS

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1961 · Hiroshima Journal of Medical Sciences (Japan)

OSTI ID:4780188

Tabuchi, A; Fujiwara, A; Ishibashi, M; Kinutani, K

The possible influence of environmental and hereditary factors (atomic bnmb exposure. radiation from other sources, socioeconomic status, consanguineous marriage, etc.) was studied in 32 children with congenital anomalies born in Hiroshima prefecture from January 1959 to December 1960, out of a total of 4566 births (0.7%). Among this total were 126 stillbirihs and neonatal deaths, in 11 of which deformities were present. Of the surving children with deformitics, anomalies of the skeletal and central nervous systems were most prevalent. From the results of questionnaires and other analyses it was concluded that exposure to the atomic bomb may have been of etiologic significance in 22% of the deformities of surviving children; 28% of their mothers were exposed. In a further study of 4529 older, physically and mentally handicapped children, atomic bomb exposure and radiation therapy were thought to contribute to 5 to 25% of the abnormalities (congenital dislocation of hip, cerebral paralysis, mental retardation, deafness and blindness). In a 3rd study of 47 women who were pregnant during exposure, abontion, stillbirth, or premature birth occurred in 5 cases and the 42 surviving children had deformities of the central nervous system. In a 4th study of 832 children born of 474 exposed Hiroshima women from January 1958 to December 1960, there were 2 cases of congenital deformities, 72 of prematurity, 27 stillbirths, and 28 neonatal deaths. A comparison of 366 children born in the same period of exposed parents with 500 of unexposed parents revealed prematurity rates of 10.7 and 7.4%, respectively. The frequency of prematurity among women exposed within 1 km of the epicenter during pregnancy was very high; each of the 3 cases cited gave birth to premature children. Although the role of radiation in producing congenital deformities could not be clearly discerned, it was considercd that the rate of deformities in the 1st generation offspring of exposed atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima is relatively low, and that other environmental and hereditary factors play a larger role. (H.H.D.)

• Research Organization: Hiroshima Univ. School of Medicine
• NSA Number: NSA-16-028837
• OSTI ID: 4780188
• Journal Information: Hiroshima Journal of Medical Sciences (Japan), Journal Name: Hiroshima Journal of Medical Sciences (Japan) Vol. Vol: 10; ISSN HIJMA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AGE
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BONES
BRAIN
ENVIRONMENT
FETUSES
GENETICS
HIROSHIMA
LIFETIME
MALFORMATIONS
MAN
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
POPULATIONS
PREGNANCY
RADIOTHERAPY
STATISTICS