Association between Agent Orange and birth defects: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Parental exposure to Agent Orange appears to be associated with an increased risk of birth defects.

Health outcomes among infants born to women deployed to United States military operations during pregnancy

“…Concerns have included fertility problems, pregnancy losses, and having infants with birth defects (Araneta et al, 2004;Aschengrau and Monson, 1990;Briggs, 1995;Cowan et al, 1997;Doyle et al, 2004;Doyle et al, 2006;Kang et al, 2000;Kang et al, 2001;Ngo et al, 2006;Stellman et al, 1988;Wells et al, 2006). More recently, the deployments of U.S. troops in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have heightened reproductive health concerns among service members and their families.…”

“…The spectrum of reproductive health concerns includes effects among both men and women, and outcomes ranging from fertility challenges to infant health problems. Most studies have evaluated infant health outcomes, including birth defects, in part because such outcomes are visible and definable with fairly well-established expected prevalence rates in the general population (Briggs, 1995;Correa-Villaseñ or et al, 2003;Cowan et al, 1997;Doyle et al, 2004;Doyle et al, 2006;Ngo et al, 2006).…”

Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases in Vietnam: A Focus on Pesticides

“…The use of certain pesticides also entrained the pollution by dioxins. In the past, the main source of dioxin in Vietnam has been the Agent Orange (prepared from phenoxy herbicide with small amounts of the highly toxic dioxin congener) and other defoliant herbicides sprayed in southern Vietnam during the Vietnam War (Ngo et al, 2006;Đỗ and Kim, 2009). After 1960, American government had sprayed more than 45 million liters of Agent Orange in 10 years (Minh et al, 2008) and no one made sure that this pollution had broken up completely in the sprayed areas.…”

Gene-Environment Interactions Target Mitogen-activated Protein 3 Kinase 1 (MAP3K1) Signaling in Eyelid Morphogenesis

“…In mice, TCDD exposure in utero causes developmental abnormalities, including but not limited to hydronephrosis, cleft palates, and vaginal thread formation (7). Some of the defects, such as cleft palates, occur at high incidence in children born in areas with high DLCs due to industrial, natural, or accidental release (10,11).…”