PubMed: Jaikrishan99 RadRes - Kerala birth effects

[Jim Muckerheide <jmuckerheide@delphi.com>]

Friends,

Further data contradicting the LNT birth effects in the low- vs hi-dose
regions of Kerala.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
Radiation, Science, and Health
muckerheide@mediaone.net
==============================
Radiat Res 1999 Dec;152(6 Suppl):S149-53 

Genetic monitoring of the human population from high-level natural
radiation areas of Kerala on the southwest coast of India: I. Prevalence
Of congenital malformations in newborns. 

 Jaikrishan G, Andrews VJ, Thampi MV, Koya PK, Rajan VK, Chauhan PS 
 Monazite Survey Project, Cell Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre, Trombay, Mumbai-400 085, India.
 [Medline record in process]

 In the densely populated monazite-bearing sands of Kerala, on the
southwest coast of India, natural radiation dose rates range from 1. 0
to over 35.0 mGy per year in certain well-defined high-level natural
radiation areas. As a part of the program to assess the health effects
of this naturally occurring high-level natural radiation on human
populations, monitoring of newborns is being undertaken to determine the
incidence of congenital malformations. From August 1995 to December
1998, a total of 36,805 newborns were screened, including 212 (0.58%)
stillbirths. There were 36,263 singletons, 536 (1.45%) twins, and 6 born
as triplets. The overall incidence of malformations was 1.46% and was
dependent on maternal age. The stillborns exhibited a very high
malformation rate of 20. 75% compared to 1.35% among the live births.
Likewise, twins also had a higher malformation rate (2.99%) compared to
singletons (1. 44%). About 3.5% of the newborns originated from
consanguineous marriages. Consanguinity also led to a relatively higher
rate of malformations (1.97%) as well as of stillbirths (1.18%). About
92% of the deliveries took place by the maternal age of 29 years and
only 1.2% among women above 34 years old. The stratification of newborns
with malformations, stillbirths or twinning showed no correlation with
the natural radiation levels in the different areas. Thus no significant
differences were observed in any of the reproductive parameters between
the two population groups based on the monitoring of 26,151 newborns
from high-level natural radiation and 10,654 from normal-level natural
radiation (dose rate </=1.5 mGy/year) areas of the Kerala coast.
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