The characteristics of congenital nervous defects of Hanoi veteran\u2019s children exposed Agent Orange/Dioxin during wartime

Background: Dioxin affects nervous system via the system of nervous communicative hormones and endocrine hormones, causing disorders and nervous behavior wrongs. Reproductive health is one of the serious effects of exposing Agent Organe/Dioxin. Objectives: To evaluate the birth defects of the nervous system of children, from the generation of veterans exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin during wartime and to assess congenital nervous defects related factors, characteristics in these subjects. Subject and methods: A retrospective cohort, interview and examine 12.369 exposed and 7.659 unexposed Hanoi veterans, their birth defective children were examined by the pediatrics. During the 2002-2003 timescale. Results: A statistically high significant rate of reproductive failures and birth defects for exposed veterans, compared to unexposed ones, spontaneous abortion with relative risk RR = 4.18, hydatidiform mole with RR = 3.0, still births with RR = 2.2, birth defects with RR = 2.12. Nervous birth defects were highest; representing more than 40% of live births; the relative risk of the exposed group is 2.3 fold higher than the unexposed group, with p < 0.01. The birth defects increased significantly: mild mental retardation with RR = 3.5, severe mental retardation with RR = 3.5, Down's syndrome with RR = 2.16. Conclusions: Nervous birth defects of children of the Hanoi veterans exposed to Agent Orange during wartime accounted for the highest rate. Congenital nervous defects in male were higher than female. Exposed time, exposed levels and direct exposure to Agent Orange were significant related factors in this study. The increase of birth defects was in correlation with exposed levels.

Health outcomes of agent orange/dioxin exposure among the population living in Cam Chinh commune, Quang Tri province

Background: In a chemical war during 1961-1971, about 94,000 tons of the herbicides were sprayed over Southern Viet Nam.A main component of the herbicides is dioxin that is very harmful to humans. There are many studies focusing on people\u2019s health due to exposure to dioxin residuals. Objective: To investigate the health issues related to exposure to dioxin residuals. Subjects and method: A retrospective comprehensive survey performed on 4018 people in Cam Chinh commune, Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province and compared with 3987 people in Cam Phuc commune, Cam Xuyen district, Ha Tinh province (controls) based on epidemiological interviews. Results: The morbidity was higher at 6.4% in the herbicides-applied area than in the herbicides-non applied area. In herbicides-applied area, there was a high risk of diseases such as bone connective, genitourinary, blood endocrine system, skin and infectious diseases. Factors such as age, sex, familiar income, drinking, smoking and agricultural chemical usage contributed towards the health of the affected population.Conclusions: Agent orange/dioxin pollutions still have the potential to be hazardous to human health in the herbicides-applied areas.