SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA AMONG THE ADULT CHILDREN OF VETERANS EXPOSED TO HERBICIDES DURING WARTIME AS REVEALED BY LUMBAR VERTEBRA - SACRAL X - RAYS

摘要

The usual lumbar X - ray of 213 adult children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange during Ranch Hand Operation (1961 - 1971) and 210 children of veterans unexposed to wartime herbicides revealed that the frequency of spina bifida occulta among children of the exposed group is approximately 1.5 times higher than unexposed (32 exposed and 22 who were unexposed. However, the rates among females showed no difference between the two groups. Simple single bifid was the most common presentation in the two groups (51,6 exposed and 41.9 unexposed). The multiple vertebras of combination bifid in the exposed group were 3 times higher than among the unexposed. The positions vertebras bifid have occurred at L 5, S1, S2, S3. The most common position was at the first sacral vertebra (S1), with 47 of exposed and 39.5 of unexposed. The statistically significant differences in the rate of spina bifida occulta among adult children between the two groups investigated show the relationship between veterans' exposure to dioxin during the Vietnam War and the occurrence of spina bifida occulta among their children. We do not deny that many other factors may cause spina bifida occulta among children, given that in our study spina bifida occulta appeared among all subjects, whether males or females and whether parents were exposed to dioxin or not. However, using data processed from two generations of the 66 families examined, this study suggests that the fathers' exposure to dioxin during wartime is a main risk factor that may increase the incidence of spina bifida occulta among their children.