RMI Nuclear Justice Documents

7
radiation exposure might have some influence on the difference in infant
mortality and birth weight, there were other factors (hypoxia, economics)
just as important, if not more so.
Early in the use of radiation a number of radiologists practiced giving

50 to 200 r to the ovaries of females who were "infertile," and in a number

of these cases the females could subsequently become pregnant.
In one such
series there was no detectable damage to either children or grandchildren
of women so irradiated. (12)

Statistical analysis of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki progeny for stillbirths,
neonatal deaths, sex-ratio, birth weight and congenital malformations, has
shown a significant shift in sex-ratio and an overall early death of progeny.
It also suggests some significant radiation effects for other categories of
defects.
Sixty children born subsequent to 1954 of exposed parents (Marshallese) show
no difference from a similar group born of unexposed parents. Maximum wholebody external gamma ray exposure of these parents was 175 rads, plus a pos-

sible 160 rads to the thyroid from !3!1. (13)

Although most of us believe that fallout in the United States did not cause
increased mortality rates, or decreased birth weights, we have no definite

proof to say it did not. Conversely, the "evidence" given by Dr. Sternglass
is not-sufficient to state that fallout caused the increased mortality rates
and decreased birth weights.
Bibliography

The following is a partial list of references pertaining to the basic theory
of Dr. Sternglass. A detailed search of the literature will reveal additional
studies, which I have not mentioned, that have a bearing on the Sternglass
theory.
1.

Sternglass, E. J., "Evidence for Low-Level Radiation Effects on the

Human Embryo and Fetus," paper presented at Ninth Annual Hanford Biology
Symposium, May 5-8, 1969, Richland, Washington.

2.

Grahn and Kratchman, "Variation in Neonatal Death Rate and Birth Weight

dn the United States and Possible Relations to Environmental Radiation,

Geology, and Altitude," Am. Jr. Hum. Genet. 15: 329-352 (1963).
3.

Solon, et al, "Investigations of Environmental Radiation," Science

4.

Lichty, et al, "Studies of Babies Born at High Altitudes," Am. Jr. Dis.

131: 903-906 (1960)

Child. 93: 666-678 (1957)