Re: Radiation as a teratogen

["Gibbs, S Julian" <s.julian.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu>]

YES!!  Radiation, in sufficient doses, produces congenital 
anomalies.  There are numerous reports in the literature.  
See any standard radiobiology text.  Most human data 
consist of case reports years ago before the problem was 
widely recognized.  In the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, 
irradiation in utero produced short stature, microcephaly, 
and mental retardation.  In animals, radiation has been 
shown to produce essentially any anomaly--i.e., radiation 
mimics nature.

***********************************************************
S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD               Voice: 615-322-3190
Professor of Radiology                    FAX: 615-322-3764 
Dept. of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville TN 37232-2670 Email:s.julian.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu
***********************************************************
If it's free, it's advice;
If you pay for it, it's counseling;
If you can use either one, it's a miracle!

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