chds and the environment

Birth Defect Research for Children (www.birthdefects.org) has started a new network for heart defect support groups and families who have children with Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs). to provide information about the latest research on the connections between CHDs and environmental exposures. Briefs for new studies will be posted on this site each month. Families and support groups for CHDs are also invited to post their comments.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

chds and the environment

Congenital Heart Defects Doubled in Neighborhood with Chemical Spill

Babies born in a polluted neighborhood in Endicott, New York have more than double the expected rate of congenital heart defects. The Department of Health has documented at least 15 cases of CHDs over a 17-year period in a neighborhood of only 2,600 people. The neighborhood, where the high rate of heart defects has been documented, is polluted by an underground plume of chemical vapors from an electronics manufacturer. One of the main toxic chemicals in the neighborhood is trichloroethylene (TCE), once widely used in the electronics industry. Studies have linked TCE with heart defects and other birth defects like cleft lip and palate.

From Press and Sun Bulletin. Binghamton NY Sept. 18, 2005.

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