Spermicides given green light.Scientific studies have raised concern as to whether fetuses conceived in the presence of spermicides are more prone to birth defects birth defects, abnormalities in physical or mental structure or function that are present at birth. They range from minor to seriously deforming or life-threatening. A major defect of some type occurs in approximately 3% of all births. (SN: 4/11/81, p. 229). The question entered the legal arena earlier this year when an Atlanta court awarded damages in the case of a baby, born despite spermicide spermicide /sper·mi·cide/ (sper´mi-sid) an agent destructive to spermatozoa.spermici´dal sper·mi·cide n. An agent that kills spermatozoa, especially as a contraceptive. use, with birth defects. Now James L. Mills, who recently completed a large study of birth defects, and Joe L. Simpson, a geneticist ge·net·i·cist n. A specialist in genetics. geneticist a specialist in genetics. geneticist who has reviewed the published data, say it is time to lay these concerns to rest. The initial association was no more than chance, said Mills, of the National Institutes of Health, and Simpson, of Northwestern University Northwestern University, mainly at Evanston, Ill.; coeducational; chartered 1851, opened 1855 by Methodists. In 1873 it absorbed Evanston College for Ladies. in Chicago, at a press conference held in Washington, D.C., last week in conjunction with the meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is a professional association of medical doctors specializing in obstetrics and gynecology in the United States. It has a membership of over 49,000[1] and represents 90 percent of U.S. . Following the initial positive studies came early reports showing no correlation (SN: 5/12/82, p. 326) -- and more recent studies, including Mills's, "have given rise to a clear consensus in the scientific community that there is no substantive increase in birth defects related to spermicide use," says Simpson. Mills and his colleagues questioned 34,660 pregnant women about spermicide use and assessed the outcomes of the pregnancies; 2,282 of the women said they had used spermicides following their last menstrual period last menstrual period Gynecology The most recent time that a ♀ notes menstruation, a datum recorded in a chart during a routine gynecologic visit. See Menstruation. have conception. "There was no increase in major malformations in general or in any organ system in mothers who had used spermicides," reports Mills. Says Simpson, "The frequency of birth defects is not generally appreciated to be as high as it is--2 to 3 percent of pregnancies result in a child with a major birth defect birth defect Genetic or trauma-induced abnormality present at birth. A more restrictive term than congenital disorder, it covers abnormalities that arise during the formation of an embryo's organs and tissues and does not include those caused by diseases (e.g. . If 100 pregnant women walk under a ladder, 2 to 3 will have a child with a birth defect. Cause and effect aren't easy to prove." A researcher on one of the studies showing a positive correlation, who asked not to be identified, says that if there is an effect, it is likely to be small. But, he adds, more data are needed to completely exonerate spermicides. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion