<
 
 
 
 
×
>
hide
You are viewing a Web site, archived on 22:57:37 Oct 14, 2004. It is now a Federal record managed by the National Archives and Records Administration.
External links, forms, and search boxes may not function within this collection. Note that this document was downloaded, and not saved because it was a duplicate of a previously captured version (22:52:18 Oct 14, 2004). HTTP headers presented here are from the original capture.

Office of the Special Assistant for Military Deployments Office of the Special Assistant for Military Deployments About Us Current Deployments Medical Readiness Past Deployments Contact Us News Current Issues Lessons Learned FAQs Search

   
Printer Friendly Version
Medical FAQs
Birth Defects
Blood Donations
CCEP
Fibromyalgia
Leukemia & Other Cancers
Medical Records
Pyridostigmine Bromide
Squalene
Vaccinations & Immunizations
 
Operational FAQs
  
  

Birth Defects

Q. Are birth defects higher in children born to Gulf War veterans?

A. On June 6, 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine provided the results of an epidemiologic study of more than 75,000 children of Gulf War veterans and other service members on active duty during the Gulf War. Evaluating data on all live births at 135 military hospitals in 1991, 1992, and 1993, this study found no overall increase in birth defects among children of Gulf War veterans.

The study provides strong scientific evidence that the children of Gulf War veterans are not more likely to suffer birth defects. We believe the work suggests that service in the Gulf War should not affect family planning or a veteran's decision on childbearing.

This is the second of seven studies which examine reproductive issues. You can read the study's abstract online. The complete article is available for $10, and the order form is available online.

Q. Is DoD sponsoring a national birth defects registry or tracking birth defects found in children of veterans?

A. The Department of Defense created the National Department of Defense Birth Defects Registry at the DoD Center for Deployment Health Research, Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, Calif. The registry, established Jan. 1, 1999, now maintains the health records of what has become a worldwide military birth surveillance program. The DoD registry gathers live birth information from all the uniformed services' DoD electronic inpatient and outpatient records. That includes all military facilities and data from civilian hospitals when the medical care is funded by TRICARE. You can read more about the program on the Internet.