ARTICLES
not exist on the Rongelap atoll as they did
in Japan. The level and availability of
medical care are uniform for all inhabi-
729
SKELETAL MATURATION
1N BROTHERS (# 3 AND # 83)
not occur and food deprivation is a community and not an individual problem.
The size of the exposed group as well
as the nearly uniform exposure did not
permit stratification by dose groups of
vital statistics data as well as the incom-
filed centrally at Trust Territory Head-
the childhood population of Rongelap.
Birth order and spacing of sibs as well as
coincidental births in neighboring families
provided useful information. Where conflicting birth dates were given, one most
consistent with circumstantial evidence and
biologic compatibility was selected as the
presumptive birth date. As expected, the
recorded information on birth dates
checked out validly only in the younger
children.
A point of genetic significance that needs
further evaluation is the degree of inbreeding that may exist in the population.
Schull?* has reported a significant association between inbreeding and anthropometric measures of growth and development.
In a rigidly controlled Child Health Survey
on Japanese children, he found that 10
body measurements including height and
i
Cry
weight were all depressed in proportion to
the child’s coefficient of inbreeding.
Complete genealogical information on
the Rongelap population is now being tabulated. In the meantime, previously accumulated data on a numberoffamilies permits
speculations concerning the extent of conSanguineous marriages on the island.
Among parents of 33 exposed children,
i
cB
“~*~
the birth dates of many of the children in
the study. This necessitated a painstaking
reconstruction of the birth chronology of
NORMS
= 9
me
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a
TAL
MATURATION
SKELE
al
lJ
IN #83
Bs eae cine
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SKELETAL MATURATION
IN#3
a
a
plete and frequently inaccurate information
‘quarters introduced uncertainty regarding
(~GREULICH -PYLE
2”
Rongelap people. Fortunately, the influx
< °
of unexposed relatives and former inhabi- = {
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tants of the Rongelap atoll have provided .
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ir
an unexpectedly stable comparison group. uJ
The virtual absence of locally recorded
T
1959
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196}
_
|
_
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- 1963
YEAR OF EXAMINATION
09 Bee
Fic. 9. Skeletal maturation in brothers (Nos. 3 and
83). The older brother (No. 3) has failed to show
any significant skeletal development during three
successive examinations at 2-year intervals. His
younger brother (No. 83) is developing normally
and is now about 6 years ahead of his older brother
k
in bone maturation.
there were 5 third cousin, 3 second cousin,
and no first cousin marriages. Among 19
paternal and 34 maternal grandparents as
well as among 64 great-grandparents of
these children, there were no first, second,
or third cousin marriages. In contrast,
among the unexposed control children,
there were 8 first cousin marriages among
23 parents. Among 20 maternal grandparents there were 6 first cousin marriages. No
first, second, or third cousin marriages were
noted among 25 paternal grandparents and
24 great-grandparents. These preliminary
observations suggest that a greater degree
of parental inbreeding does not exist among
the exposed children.
If the difference in growth noted in this
study is the result of exposure to radiation,
important questions are raised concerning
the mechanisms by which the retardation
was brought about. Clinical and biochemi-
cal evaluations have demonstrated no apparent abnormalities in endocrine function
or mineral metabolism. Thebeta irradiation
°K
we
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tants. Great variations in food habits do