6533b7dcfe1ef96bd1272a74
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Trends in infant leukaemia in West Germany in relation to in utero exposure due to Chernobyl accident.
Werner BurkartBernd GroscheM. SteinerJörg MichaelisU. Kaletschsubject
Pediatricsmedicine.medical_specialtyBiophysicsRadiation DosageInfant Newborn DiseasesWest germanyNuclear ReactorsPregnancyEnvironmental healthGermanyRadiation IonizingMedicineHumansIndependent dataRadiation InjuriesGeneral Environmental ScienceLeukemia Radiation-InducedChildhood Cancer RegistryRadiationbusiness.industryIncidence (epidemiology)Infant NewbornInfantIn uteroMaternal ExposureChild PreschoolCohortFemalebusinessDose rateRadioactive Hazard ReleaseUkrainePower Plantsdescription
A temporary increase in the incidence of infant leukaemia in Greece was reported by Petridou et al., which was attributed to in utero exposure to ionising radiation resulting from the Chernobyl accident. We performed a similar analysis based on the data of the German Childhood Cancer Registry in order to check whether the observation could be confirmed by means of independent data. Applying the same definitions as Petridou et al., we also observed an increased incidence of infant leukaemia in a cohort of children born after the Chernobyl accident. More detailed analyses, regarding areas with different contamination levels and dose rate gradients over time after the accident, showed, however, no clear trend with regard to exposure. It would therefore appear less likely that the observed effect was caused by exposure to ionising radiation due to the Chernobyl accident.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-09-05 | Radiation and environmental biophysics |