Verret Catherine, Jutand Mathe-Aline, De Vigan Catherine, Bégassat Marion, Bensefa-Colas Lynda, Brochard Patrick, Salamon Roger
Laboratory of Occupational and Environmental Health, Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 University, Bordeaux, France.
BMC Public Health. 2008 Apr 28;8:141. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-141.
Since 1993, many studies on the health of Persian Gulf War veterans (PGWVs) have been undertaken. Some authors have concluded that an association exists between Gulf War service and reported infertility or miscarriage, but that effects on PGWV's children were limited. The present study's objective was to describe the reproductive outcome and health of offspring of French Gulf War veterans.
The French Study on the Persian Gulf War (PGW) and its Health Consequences is an exhaustive cross-sectional study on all French PGWVs conducted from 2002 to 2004. Data were collected by postal self-administered questionnaire. A case-control study nested in this cohort was conducted to evaluate the link between PGW-related exposures and fathering a child with a birth defect.
In the present study, 9% of the 5,666 Gulf veterans who participated reported fertility disorders, and 12% of male veterans reported at least one miscarriage among their partners after the PGW. Overall, 4.2% of fathers reported at least one child with a birth defect conceived after the mission. No PGW-related exposure was associated with any birth defect in children fathered after the PGW mission. Concerning the reported health of children born after the PGW, 1.0% of children presented a pre-term delivery and 2.7% a birth defect. The main birth defects reported were musculoskeletal malformations (0.5%) and urinary system malformations (0.3%). Birth defect incidence in PGWV children conceived after the mission was similar to birth defect incidence described by the Paris Registry of Congenital Malformations, except for Down syndrome (PGWV children incidence was lower than Registry incidence).
This study did not highlight a high frequency of fertility disorders or miscarriage among French PGW veterans. We found no evidence for a link between paternal exposure during the Gulf War and increased risk of birth defects among French PGWV children.
自1993年以来，已经开展了许多关于海湾战争退伍军人（PGWVs）健康状况的研究。一些作者得出结论，海湾战争服役与报告的不育或流产之间存在关联，但对PGWV子女的影响有限。本研究的目的是描述法国海湾战争退伍军人后代的生殖结局和健康状况。
法国海湾战争及其健康后果研究是一项针对所有法国PGWVs于2002年至2004年进行的详尽横断面研究。数据通过邮政自行填写问卷收集。在该队列中进行了一项病例对照研究，以评估与海湾战争相关的暴露因素与生育患有出生缺陷孩子之间的联系。
在本研究中，参与的5666名海湾战争退伍军人中有9%报告有生育障碍，12%的男性退伍军人报告在海湾战争后其伴侣至少有一次流产。总体而言，4.2%的父亲报告在任务结束后生育的孩子中至少有一个患有出生缺陷。没有与海湾战争相关的暴露因素与海湾战争任务结束后生育的孩子中的任何出生缺陷相关联。关于海湾战争后出生的孩子报告的健康状况，1.0%的孩子早产，2.7%有出生缺陷。报告的主要出生缺陷是肌肉骨骼畸形（0.5%）和泌尿系统畸形（0.3%）。任务结束后PGWV子女的出生缺陷发生率与巴黎先天性畸形登记处描述的出生缺陷发生率相似，但唐氏综合征除外（PGWV子女的发生率低于登记处的发生率）。
本研究未发现法国海湾战争退伍军人中生育障碍或流产的高发生率。我们没有发现证据表明海湾战争期间父亲的暴露与法国PGWV子女出生缺陷风险增加之间存在联系。
