Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1993 Feb 27;341(8844):539-42.
doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90293-p.

Environmental trichlorfon and cluster of congenital abnormalities

A E Czeizel  1 , C Elek, S Gundy, J Métneki, E Nemes, A Reis, K Sperling, L Tímár, G Tusnády, Z Virágh
Affiliations

Environmental trichlorfon and cluster of congenital abnormalities

A E Czeizel et al. Lancet. .

Abstract

Of 15 live births in one Hungarian village in 1989-90, 11 (73%) were affected by congenital abnormalities and 6 were twins. Of the 11, 4 had Down syndrome. Likely causes of such clusters (known teratogenic factors, familial inheritance, consanguinity) were excluded. A case-control study and environmental investigations pointed the finger of suspicion at the excessive use of trichlorfon at local fish farms. The content of this chemical was very high in fish (100 mg/kg) and several pregnant women, including all mothers of babies with Down syndrome, had consumed contaminated fish in the critical period for the congenital abnormalities observed.

PubMed Disclaimer