Impact of the Gulf war on congenital heart diseases in Kuwait

Abushaban, Lulu; Al-Hay, Amira A. A.; Uthaman, Babu; Salama, A; Selvan, J.P.

doi:10.1016/s0167-5273(03)00193-1

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies from Iraq revealed an increasing preterm deliveries and low birth weight following the 1991 Gulf War [43-45]. A report from Kuwait, a major battle- field, showed a significant increase in congenital heart diseases in post 1991 Gulf War [46] which was attributed to environmental damage due to fires set to the oil fields.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Birth defects in Iraq and the plausibility of environmental exposure: A review

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An increased prevalence of birth defects was allegedly reported in Iraq in the post 1991 Gulf War period, which was largely attributed to exposure to depleted uranium used in the war. This has encouraged further research on this particular topic. This paper reviews the published literature and provided evidence concerning birth defects in Iraq to elucidate possible environmental exposure. In addition to published research, this review used some direct observation of birth defects data from Al-Ramadi Maternity and Paediatric Hospital in Al-Anbar Governorate in Iraq from1st July 2000 through 30th June 2002. In addition to depleted uranium other war-related environmental factors have been studied and linked directly or indirectly with the increasing prevalence of birth defects. However, the reviewed studies and the available research evidence do not provide a clear increase in birth defects and a clear indication of a possible environmental exposure including depleted uranium although the country has been facing several environmental challenges since 1980.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Birth defects in Iraq and the plausibility of environmental exposure: A review

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Based on clinical suspicion of increased anomalies, Abushaban et al reviewed the annual frequency and type of congenital heart defects among all Kuwaiti newborns during the years 1986 – 1989 and 1992 – 2000, i.e., pre- and post- the 1991 Gulf War [56]. Abushaban et al report that during the 1991 Gulf War Iraqi soldiers, before leaving Kuwait, set fire to an astounding 770 Kuwaiti oil fields and the environmental damage, the air, water and land pollution was huge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The post 1991 Gulf War rates of congenital heart defects overall and of numerous specific defects are high in the Kuwaiti study compared to data from the West. Abushaban et al [56] found an overall post-war relative risk for congenital heart defects above 2 1/2 and statistically significant differences in incidence (pre vs. post) for 13 of 17 sub-categories. In the US veterans study of Araneta et al two (of 14) types of congenital heart defects were identified as statistically more common among offspring of 1991 male Gulf War veterans than among offspring of other male veterans [50].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Teratogenicity of depleted uranium aerosols: A review from an epidemiological perspective

2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundDepleted uranium is being used increasingly often as a component of munitions in military conflicts. Military personnel, civilians and the DU munitions producers are being exposed to the DU aerosols that are generated.MethodsWe reviewed toxicological data on both natural and depleted uranium. We included peer reviewed studies and gray literature on birth malformations due to natural and depleted uranium. Our approach was to assess the "weight of evidence" with respect to teratogenicity of depleted uranium.ResultsAnimal studies firmly support the possibility that DU is a teratogen. While the detailed pathways by which environmental DU can be internalized and reach reproductive cells are not yet fully elucidated, again, the evidence supports plausibility. To date, human epidemiological data include case examples, disease registry records, a case-control study and prospective longitudinal studies.DiscussionThe two most significant challenges to establishing a causal pathway between (human) parental DU exposure and the birth of offspring with defects are: i) distinguishing the role of DU from that of exposure to other potential teratogens; ii) documentation on the individual level of extent of parental DU exposure. Studies that use biomarkers, none yet reported, can help address the latter challenge. Thoughtful triangulation of the results of multiple studies (epidemiological and other) of DU teratogenicity contributes to disentangling the roles of various potentially teratogenic parental exposures. This paper is just such an endeavor.ConclusionIn aggregate the human epidemiological evidence is consistent with increased risk of birth defects in offspring of persons exposed to DU.

show abstract

“…Since 2011, armed conflict has been on the rise, with one in every four people living in a conflict zone today [1]. Research from several contexts has linked conflict to adverse neonatal outcomes, including low birth weight, congenital complications, and still and premature births [2,3,4,5,6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Service utilization patterns for childbirth and neonatal mortality in the occupied Palestinian territory during conflict

Siam

Leone

2020

European Journal of Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The global incidence of man-made crises has increased in the last decade. Evidence on deviations in service uptake during conflict is needed to better understand the link between conflict and adverse neonatal outcomes. We assessed the association between conflict intensity in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) at time of birth and (i) utilization patterns for childbirth across different providers; and (ii) neonatal mortality. Methods We combined data on conflict intensity with four demographic and health surveys (2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014) that included nationally representative samples of women of childbearing age. Our exposure variable was casualties per 100 000 population in defined sub-regions of the oPt. Our outcome specifications were a binary variable for neonatal deaths and a categorical variable for childbirth location. We used multivariate logistic and multinomial regressions to assess the associations. Results High conflict intensity was associated with fewer childbirths in the private sector (RR=0.97, P=0.04), and non-governmental organizations (RR=0.95, P=0.03) compared to public facilities. Conflict intensity was not associated with higher neonatal mortality beyond 2004. Conclusions Policy implications include better preparedness in the public sector for childbirth during conflict and exploring reasons for the slow decline in neonatal mortality in the territory beyond conflict at time of birth.

show abstract

Impact of the Gulf war on congenital heart diseases in Kuwait

Cited by 12 publications

References 3 publications

Birth defects in Iraq and the plausibility of environmental exposure: A review

Birth defects in Iraq and the plausibility of environmental exposure: A review

Teratogenicity of depleted uranium aerosols: A review from an epidemiological perspective

Service utilization patterns for childbirth and neonatal mortality in the occupied Palestinian territory during conflict

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About