17
Rongelap. During that year the health aide was
visited frequently for upper respiratory infections
(nearly everyone hadat least one cold during the
year). Gastrveniteritis was also a frequent complatne.
REVIEW OF DATA ON MORTALITY
AND PREGNANCY TERMINATION
OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS
group are compared with those in the unexposed
group in Tables 3 and +. Since any radiation-induced genetic imperfections that might result in
nonviable offspring might be present in the germ
plasm ofthe father as well as the mother, two unexposed women mated to exposed men are included in the exposed group. Four children born
in £954 were excluded from the list because they
had been concetved before the accident.
Table 3 and Figure 10 show the yearly inci-
dence of live births and miscarriages and the sex
Mortality
The four deaths that have occurred in the exposed Rongelap people during the past 6 years
give an annual rate of 8.1 per 1000 pepulation.
The Marshall Islands annual rate is reported as
6.8 per 1000. The unexposed Rongelap population has had four deaths also, which gives a rate of
4.3 per 1000. These hyures do not include fetal
and infant mortality. The people of Utirik Island,
who received about [4 r of radiation in the 1954
accident, have shown a death rate of about 10to 11
per 1000 population. Their population has varied
between 160 and 213 people since the event.
Pregnancy Terminations
-
of babies born of women ofchild-bearing age in
the exposed and unexposed groups. Under the
category of miscarriages are included sullbirths
and babies dying a few hoursafter birth. [t was
unfortunate that in most cases it was not possible
for physicians to inspect the products of miscarriage. Figure 10, a plot of the percentage incidence
of miscarriage in the two groups, indicates that it
is somewhat greater in the exposed group. The
data on pregnancy terminations, summarized in
Table 4, also show an increased incidence of miscarriage in the exposed group.
The birth rate in the Marshall Islands in 1957
was 37.3 per 1000 population. Vhe 24 live births
During [958 six miscarriages and stillbirths
were recorded in the exposed group, but none was
reported in this group for 1959. Only one was reported for each of these years in the unexposed
women. Pregnancy terminations in the exposed
r
1G0
%
Exposed
nen giving birth to living
pregnancies
Women with | or more
miscarriages
Women with 2 or more
miscarriages
Pregnancies terminating in
iscarriages
ot
PERCENT
%
Unexposed
66
18
11
18
22
41
28
i+
i
43
23
*Tnctudes children dying hrst few hours after birth.
---- EXPOSED
UNEXPOSED
MISC / TOTAL PREGNANCIES
1
1
\
\
\
70
and Rungelap Unexposed (1956-1959)
midren
Women with miscarriages* but
no hve births
Women with no recorded
\
BO +
Summary of Pregnancy Termination Data,
Rongelap Exposed (1954-1959)
\
60F
\
\
5
\
\
50
A
\
\
ago}
2/6
\
’
\
1
20 +
v
7
af
/
A
\
y 2/8
7
\ 6/14
f
2/8
\
qt
\
|
va \
\
76
fF
a
54
/
\
30 +
10
- rs:
t
90
Table 4
7
i
L
55
56
|
\
\
L
EXPOSURE
75
i
i
i
5?
5a
59
7
Vv
\ors
60
EAR
Figure 10. Eneidence of nuscarnages and stillbirths in
expused Rongciap women. Sailbirths inctude babies
living only a few hours alter birth. Data on unexposed
women are incomplete prior tu 1956.