Vietnam Veteransã¢â‚¬â„¢ Risks of Fathering Babies With Birth Defects.
STUDY OF VIETNAM VETERANS FINDS NO INCREASED Chance OF Nascence DEFECTS
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August 17, 1984
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The largest medical study of Vietnam veterans yet undertaken concludes that they appear to have no increased risk of fathering children with full general nascence defects, Government scientists reported today.
However, the report, from the Centers for Illness Control here, noted that Federal epidemiologists had found evidence that a small number of babies fathered past veterans who were well-nigh probable to have been exposed to the herbicide Amanuensis Orange had developed unexplained, rare and frequently crippling defects such as division of the spinal column.
The researchers said they were unable to conclude on the ground of their studies that these defects were caused by exposure to Agent Orange. They also said at a news conference today that their work ''could not disbelieve the possibility of mental retardation'' and the possible evolution of other defects later in life.
Concern Among Veterans
The issue of nascence defects has been of keen concern to veterans' groups because of the known toxicity of Agent Orange, a defoliant containing dioxins that was widely used in the Vietnam War to deprive the enemy of jungle comprehend.
Dr. J. David Erickson and Dr. Joseph Mulinare, the senior authors of the study, titled ''Vietnam Veterans' Risks For Fathering Babies With Nascence Defects,'' concluded:
''Vietnam veterans who had greater estimated opportunities for Agent Orange exposure did not seem to be at greater hazard for fathering babies with all types of defects combined. Still, for a few specific types of defects the estimated risks were higher for subgroups of Vietnam veterans that may have had a greater likelihood of exposure to Agent Orangish. These seemingly higher risks could exist chance events, the result of some experience in the Vietnam service of the begetter, or the result of some other unexplained risk factor.''
The report, to be published Fri in The Journal of the American Medical Clan, was criticized past some Vietnam veterans' organizations as incomplete. They stressed the need for further studies.
Congress, reacting to repeated demands by veterans' groups for a thorough inquiry into the possible effects of Agent Orange, ordered the report as the showtime part of a $100 million investigation.
The iii remaining segments of the investigation will focus on people most heavily exposed to Agent Orange, the long-term health effects of service in Vietnam, regardless of exposure to herbicides and the possibility that Vietnam veterans face increased cancer risks. These studies will not be completed for another 5 years or so.
The written report made public today sought scientific answers to widespread anecdotal questions and rumors that children of servicemen exposed to Amanuensis Orange were developing birth defects at a much higher rate than might be expected in the general population. In the full general population, the written report said, serious birth defects occur in 2 to iii percent of all births.
The study examined 4,815 babies with birth defects built-in to parents living in the Atlanta surface area in the years 1968 through 1980, and compared them with a control group of 2,967 normal children built-in in this expanse at the same fourth dimension.
In both groups, 9 percent of the fathers were Vietnam veterans. In both groups, some of the veterans had been exposed to Agent Orange while others had non come in contact with the amanuensis. The report did non try to define combat-related experience.
The two groups of children were selected from the 323,421 children who were born in the Atlanta area in those 13 years, including 13,000 who had some course of birth defects. This area was chosen partly because of the careful record-keeping by the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Plan.
The proximity of the Federal Centers for Disease Command was another consideration.
One time the two groups of babies were identified, researchers said interviews were conducted in 1982 and 1983 with their parents, although ''no specific mention was made of Agent Orange or service in Vietnam.'' Method of Written report
The nativity defects of the afflicted babies were then divided into 96 categories, while the military machine service, Vietnam service and exposure to Agent Orange so was calculated for the fathers based both on interviews and examinations of their military records. In essence, they started with a defective babe and worked backward to determine if the father had whatever exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
The researchers emphasized that great care was taken to record data as accurately and completely as possible because, Agent Orangish bated, questions have also been raised suggesting that Vietnam veterans who developed malaria there might have greater risks of fathering defective babies.
In addition, the epidemiologists sought to notice out what drugs were taken to prevent malaria because of other suggestions that these chemicals might in some way be related to birth defects. No clan was constitute.
Later analyzing the statistics, the researchers said: ''This report cannot show that some factor associated with service in Vietnam was or was not associated with the appearance of rare types of defects, or defects in the babies of selected persons, or of defects in the babies of modest groups of veterans.
''However,'' information technology continued, ''the conclusion that Vietnam veterans in general have non fathered babies with all types of nascency defects combined, at higher rates than other men is based on relatively strong evidence.'' Some Unexpected Abnormalities
The researchers said they did notice a college than expected charge per unit of cases of spina bifida, that is, the division of the backbone into two sections, as well every bit cleft lip, abnormal growths at various places in the body, slits in either the eyes or eyelids, and peculiarities with fingernails and toenails.
At the same time, a lower than expected incidence of a wide variety of other defects was noted, leading to the conclusion that the increase in spina bifida and the other abnormalities ''may be take chances phenomena.''
An editorial in the journal by one of its editors, Dr. Bruce B. Dan, complimented the Centers for Disease Command for the thoroughness of its work.
Reviewing this and previous studies, Dr. Dan concluded that ''it would seem that a fairly strong statement can exist made that it is unlikely that serious congenital anomalies in children of men serving in Vietnam were results of that experience.''
However, representatives of some veterans groups said the written report did non go far enough in determining the possibility of adventure.
Frank McCarthy, president of Vietnam Veterans Amanuensis Orangish Victims Inc., in Stamford, Conn., said the written report ''doesn't tell us what nosotros really want to know.''
''We demand a second report that will tell Vietnam veterans if they are likely to accept children with birth defects,'' he said.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/17/us/study-of-vietnam-veterans-finds-no-increased-risk-of-birth-defects.html
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