cous membranes from improperly prepared arrow:
rout Jour is not uncommon, Both have erroncously
been associated with radiation elfccis in the minds
of the Rongelap people.
Diabetes mellivus is a major problemand is discussed separately in Section TEL. G.
A prograin is under way to build newdispensaries on the outer islands. On Ebeye a new hospi
tal building has provided improved conditions lor
health care.
Lt is against this general back ground that our
examinations tke place. We are privileged to get
generous help fronthe local healed authorities in
our task, and conversely when we are an the scene
we Cannot avoid getting invelycd in problernis out.
side the scape of Lillout complications,
Major physical findings during the past 3 years
are listed in “Fable 8,
B. VITAL STATISTICS: FERTILITY AND MORTALITY
Vhe number of five births duriy the last 5-vear
period was 37 among the exposed and 69 among the
unex posed, Calculated as live births per vear per
1000 population these numbers give a birthrate of
Pil for the exposed and 106 for the unespascd. Ta
addition, (here were LO miscariiages amang the
exposceb and 1 among the unes posed, so dat, in
both qroups, ane premnaney out of five cuded in
nicarciaae, Uhis is approximately the same free
queneyos observed in the past (sce Viable 9),
Lewal abortions are net performed ithe Mare
shiall Usbands, and there is no reason to believe that
any ofthe pregnaney terminations on recard were
provoked. Family plaaning has net been practiced
inh the past although ti is stowly gaining ground,
We therelore believe that the leriliiy and fetus
Viability indicated by these statis ics are the natue
ralones. and, aldiough the exposed females showed
aN apparent increase in miscarriages during the
first > vears, there is no evidence sudgesting that
the histary of esposure to radiation bas had any
permanent clfect on cither.
The people who have died ace listed by vear in
Table 10, with their age and: probable caus of
death (such death certificates ay aie available are
hot alwaws specilig). The overall mortility rate for
the 20-sear periad is ~b2 per L000 per vear for
the exposcd Rongelap group and — 35 for the anexposed: for the hist d-vear period the rates are
~Y andl ~ 21 respeetively. These ditlcrences are
hot statinically significant; ta such small groupes
Table It
Mortality, Utirik
(Av. age at death: 6123)
Year
bob
157
Subject
Nu,
TB
1057
Age
& wx
Year
aM
57 F
63M
Subject
Age
Na.
& ex
1905
218)
o7 M
1965
22d
63 F
1905
2
TLE
14657
2
63 F
yD
W255
56M
1058
wd
NE
147
2181
7K AM
hoo
2he2
u7 M
La7
2202
“OF
954
227
TaN
Tm?
way
T9F
yo
Ta
JEU
SyuT
4N1
61F
18
| Seeadd
2tul
wit
2M
TUM
Badd
lk
19aG
2116
Ou
J1ho
i
JF
ith Mf
14d
1 theads
my
2141
2259
219]
a7 F
JF
oF
taal
NG
TEN
td
T34
8OM
1G]
2yuu
4OF
1070
275
YK
63M
Vad
Tod
Jyh
Ti
t3 NE
65 F
buT]
971
W238
Th
oe M
2F
1d
2192
uiF
63 MM
[72
rH
2178
37M
Lad
JU3A
51 F
Los
21a
o7 F
174
2201
as F
ons
14653
rad
2104
TF
IG7U
Lor.
73M
57 MM
observed over such short periods, differences this
large or larver could occur by chance ( <U.05).
Even so, had the trend been in the opposite dircetion, we would have had reason to be concerned;
a an cxample, we ary keeping a carchul watch on the
BpPpAarent increase in maligasncies (see Section V’).
The mortality rate among the exposed Cririk
people was ~ 13 for the 20-vear period and ~ 14
lor the last 5 vears. The deaths are sted in Table
TE, bat causes are not given because of insullicient
hata.
Reeent misconceptions make it necessary to
clarify comparisons with district-wide statistics.
The vital statistics of the Trast Territory have improved greatly over the 20 vears covered bythese
reports, bur thes are still tat published in suthicient detail to permit valid comparisons with ours,
Vhe age distributions are tou ditverent: district-
wide the median age is 1G vears, whereas in our
group itis benweren $0 and 40, Vhe ditference between the mortality ia the general population (+7
per [000 per vear) and thaton our groups (> 3)
reflects this ditference un age distrabution andi is
not related ty the history of exposure. A similar ef
lect can be seen on the birthrate (~40 per 1000
per vear distriet-wide and ~~ EIU in our groups).