Evidence for a teratogenic risk in the offspring of health personnel exposed to ionizing radiation?!

Background: The evidence concerning safety of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation on teratogenic effects mainly relies on animal models, disaster epidemiology and experience in cancer etiology. Following an explorative result on maternal exposure in medical occupations we conducted a feasibility study, addressing congenital anomalies (CA) in the offspring of health workers potentially exposed to radiation.

Methods: In a prospective follow-up study, we enrolled women, identified by mandatory registration at the office of radiation protection as wearing a dosimeter.

Birth defects in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Germany.

Living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants (NPP) is discussed here in terms of adverse health effects. A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted to evaluate whether the prevalence of birth defects in the vicinity of NPPs is elevated and scrutinize a possible distance correlation. A birth cohort born to mothers living within 10 km of two selected NPPs (study region) was compared to a region without NPP (comparison region), and an active surveillance of all live births, stillbirths, and induced abortions in the defined regions was performed.