UK Study Fetal death and the nuclear industry

Reported in the Lancet

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Fetal death and the nuclear industry

'We found no evidence of a link between exposure to low-level
ionising radiation before conception and increased risk of adverse
reproduction outcome in men working in the nuclear industry'
The genetic effects of exposure to low-level ionising radiation are
unclear. Most previous studies have concentrated on cancer in
offspring and little work has been done on adverse reproductive
outcome. Pat Doyle and colleagues analysed the pregnancies of nuclear
industry workers in the UK to assess whether the offspring of men and
women who are occupationally exposed to ionising radiation are at
increased risk of fetal death and congenital malformation. The risks
of fetal death and congenital malformation were not related to
whether the father had been monitored before conception or to the
dose of radiation received. The risk of early miscarriage and
stillbirth was higher in mothers who had been monitored before
conception. The risk of any major malformation was not associated
with maternal monitoring, or dose received, before conception

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