[ RadSafe ] Congenital birth defects in Iraq

[parthasarathy k s]

Friends,

The WHO has publish3d its study on congenital birth defects in Iraq.The summary of the study can be accessed at:
http://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/iraq/documents/Congenital_birth_defects_report.pdf

The study concluded thus:

The survey data was collected by interviewing women of reproductive age in a  sample of households in 18 selected districts of Iraq. The rates for spontaneous  abortion, stillbirths and congenital birth defects found in the study are consistent with or even lower than international estimates. The study provides no clear evidence to 
suggest an unusually high rate of congenital birth defects in Iraq. 

However, the results do reflect local variation as well as a lower rate of congenital birth defects before 1998. Although this may be attributable to difficulties in recalling events that occurred in the more distant past, further in/depth analysis of available data and additional information is needed to confirm this and explain the local variations. 

While reviewing a study which concluded that there were excess birth defects post 1998, I found that that report made some false claims. I did not pursue it further as it would have been similar to the futile efforts to nail the scientific inaccuracies of Chris Busby!!


Regards
Parthasarathy