15
another case, loss of the outer one-third of the
eyebrow hairs was suggestive of the disease, but
a skin biopsy revealed no acid-fast bacilli.
No cases of retinal scars were observed that
might have resulted from retinal burns possibly
caused by observation ofthe fireball of the nuclear
Table 5
Variations in Composition of Pediatric Population,
1958 through 1962:
Rongelap Group
Numbers of children
explosion that resulted in the fallout accident,
although many people on Rongelap reported seeing the fireball and described it as resembling the
“rising sun” in the western sky.
Exposed group
Total seen
1958
1959
1960* 1961
1962
39
34
36
30
30
Not available
—
I
0
1
0
Transferred to
adult study
—_—
4
0
5
1
Total seen
88
75
$1
75
71
Not available
—
13
25
0
10
adult study
—
3
2
3
0
previous year
—
3
3
27
2
Tables 5 and 6. The fluctuations from year to year
New subjects
added
—
—
—
—
4
(a)
“Limited survey.
PEDIATRIC EXAMINATIONS
During the 1962 survey, 30 exposed chidren, 71
control children, 37 children born to exposed parents and 25 children born to unexposed parents
were examined. The size of the pediatric study
population (Rongelap series) during each of the
last 5 surveys (1958 through 1962) is shown in
in the numbersof children seen have resulted from
movement,
generally temporary,
to other
Control group
Transferred to
Not seen
atolls, (b) graduation from the pediatric to the
Table 6
adult study, and (c) addition of newborn babies.
Attrition due to unavailability has been minimal
in the exposed group. One child in 1959 and onein
Variations in Composition of Pediatric Population,
1961 could not be examined, but each of these
Children Born After Fallout (Rongelap)
children returned to the study the subsequentyear.
In the control group, the attrition rate has been
1958 through 1962:
Numbers of children
higher, 11.3% for the last 5 years.
The frequencies of various abnormalfindings on
physical examination have been summarized in
Table 7. As in previous years, no consistent rela-
tionship was noted between the occurrence of these
abnormalities and exposure to radiation.
Growth and DevelopmentStudies
In the analysis of the growth data, previously
described statistical methodology was used.* The
children were divided into 4 groups: (a) those
exposed to radiation, including the 4 children in
utero at the time of exposure, (b) those born
before the fallout but not exposed to radiation, (c)
those born to exposed parents subsequent to the
fallout, and (d) those born to unexposed parents
subsequent to the fallout.
Height and weight data on children born before
the fallout showed the expected pattern of pubertal
1958
1959
Exposed parents*
Number seen
13
20
10
24
37
New babies
added
—
7
0
5
12
Notavailable
from previous
year
—_
0
10
1
0
0
0
10
1
7
7
0
0
14
8
25
10
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
i
Old subject
not seen
previous year
—
Unexposed parents:
Numberseen
New babies added
Not available from
previous year
Old subject not seen
previous year
1960**1961
1962
*This category includes only those who were babies
at the time they were added to the study. Those who were
older at the time they were first seen have been grouped
with the reguiar control children.
**Limited survey.