The Children of Atomic Bomb Survivors A Genetic Study (1991) / Chapter Skim
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Mortality in the Children of Atomic Bomb Survivors and Controls
Mortality in the Children of Atomic Bomb Survivors and Controls
Pages 327-343
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From page 327... ...
SCHOLL Center for Demographic and Population Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas 77025 Manuscript received July 1 5, 1 9 73 Resised copy received October 24, 1973 ABSTRACT A continuing study of mortality rates among children born to survivors of the atomic bombings and a suitable group of controls has been updated; the average interval between birth and verification of death or survival is 17 years. The mortality experience is now based on 18,946 children liveborn to parents one or both of whom were proximally exposed, receiving jointly an estimated dose of 117 rem; 16,516 children born to distally exposed parents receiving essentially no radiation; and 17,263 children born to parents not in Hiroshima or Nagasaki at the time of the bombings.
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From page 328... ...
The number of liveborn infants in each of the panels when they were established was reported as 17,721' 177870, and 17,828, respectively. Although we are interested in total zygote loss, stillborn infants have been excluded from the present study because a definitive analysis of stillbirth frequency between 1948 and 1953, the period during which the majority of the study births occurred, has been presented elsewhere, it revealed no relation of the phenomenon to parental radiation (NEEL and SCHULL 19569.
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From page 330... ...
If we intend to recognize the neutron component in calculating the genetically effective dose, the RBE figure of greatest pertinence is specifically for genetic effects. The data for mammals are not so extensive as one might desire; we will accept RUSSELL'S appraisal that "in general, for a given absorbed dose, neutrons prove to be far more mutagenic than X and gamma rays, namely, of the order of 5 or 6 times both for oocytes and for the rising part of the dose curve for spermatogonia.
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From page 331... ...
Ir1 computing this, whenever the estimated T65 rem dose for an individual exceeded 600, it has been reduced to that figure' on the grounds that this is the approximate maximum dose of whole or near-whole body radiation compatible with survival, and doses estimated as greater than that result from confusion over position ATB or shielding or both. However, it has not beers possible to introduce a corresponding counter-correction, for parents who in their histories may inadvertently have exaggerated the amount of shielding or distance from hypocenter ATB.
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From page 332... ...
In an effort to extend this information, in 1964 a mail survey was undertaken of a random 10% of the parents in the total sample, with respect to present parental occupation, parental schooling, survival status of the parents, the size of the home (as measured by the standard module of Japanese mats) and the number of persons normally residing therein' food expenditures per person per month, and child's nutrition, as measured by consumption of such dietary items as fish, meat, eggs, and milk.
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From page 333... ...
In the composition of these study groups, the limiting factor on size of group was the number of children born to relatively heavily irradiated parents. There was an excess of potential controls among children falling into categories II and III.
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From page 334... ...
and, since the radiation dose at the periphery of the city was minimal' this is a shift from one type of control to another. However' there were also 78 changes from a report of THE CHILDREN OF ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS .
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From page 335... ...
To some extent this may be due to the fact that our original histories of parental radiation were usually obtained from the mothers alone, or her surrogate' whereas the later histories have been obtained directly from the persons concerned. Anyone familiar with the problem of obtaining accurate histories concerning highly emotional subjects will not be too surprised at these minor changes.
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From page 336... ...
, the sample was large enough to detect an angular difference of 1.0. As the cumulative death rate in the two control groups among liveborn infants was close to 6.0% at the time of this evaluation, we could detect THE CHILDREN OF ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS 336
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From page 337... ...
Since the data on the neutron component of the radiation spectrum of the atomic bombs there not yet available' this calculation was in terms of rad rather than rem units, and so did not take into consideration the greater RBE of neutrons. In the present situation, with the new data on dosage, we can modify the previous estimate as follows: 117 0.005 - - 58 5 rem The most vulnerable aspect of this calculation is the estimate that 0.005 of liveborn infants will die prior to maturity because of chromosomal and "point" mutation in the preceding generation.
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From page 338... ...
, then from Table 2 we see that for fathers the data exclude at the 5 °/0 level a regression term greater than 0.000029 + 1.645 x 0.000015 = 0.000054, and on the assumption that the father contributes half of the mutations resulting in prereproductive death among liveborn infants' the minimum* gametic doubling dose is 0 000054 = 46 rem.
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From page 339... ...
However. it must also be borne in mind that in the mouse the mutational yield from spaced or low dose radiation appears to be less than that from siIlgle-dose, quickly administered radiation by a factor of 3 or 4 in the male and 20 in the female' the latter figure still based on relatively scanty data Trussers, RUSSELL and KELLEY 1958; THE CHILDREN OF ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS 339
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From page 340... ...
, if human sper~natogonia and oocytes respond to radiation as do those of the mouse, with the present argument the gametic doubling dose of radiation for mutations resulting in pre-reproductive mortality in liveborn infants (sexes combined) is unlikely to be less than 138 rem for males and over 1000 rem for females.
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From page 341... ...
and T SHOHOJI, 1968 Tentative 1965 radiation dose estimation for atomic bomb survivors.
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From page 342... ...
J SCHOLL SUG^~^~, T~ 1964 Genetic eRects of chronic irradiation given to mice through three successive generations.
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