Anencephaly and potato blight in the Republic of Ireland

National potato tuber blight scores in the Republic of Ireland for the years 1961-70 were ascertained and evaluated in relation to incidence of anencephalic births in the following years. No significant relationship between annual tuber blight scores and incidence of anencephaly one year later could...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British Journal of Preventive & Social Medicine 1974-05, Vol.28 (2), p.81-84
Main Authors: Masterson, J. G., Frost, Carmel, Bourke, G. J., Joyce, Nessa M., Herity, Bernadette, Wilson-Davis, K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anencephaly
Anencephaly - history
Anencephaly - mortality
Disease Outbreaks - history
Female
Fetal Death - epidemiology
Fungi
History of medicine
History, 19th Century
Hospital records
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Ireland
Irish famine
Live births
Plant Diseases
Potatoes
Pregnancy
Spina bifida
Spinal Dysraphism - history
Stillbirth
Tubers
Vivipary
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Summary:National potato tuber blight scores in the Republic of Ireland for the years 1961-70 were ascertained and evaluated in relation to incidence of anencephalic births in the following years. No significant relationship between annual tuber blight scores and incidence of anencephaly one year later could be demonstrated. Examination of the records of a maternity hospital for the years before, during, and after the great midnineteenth century potato famine in Ireland failed to show any appreciable fluctuation in anencephaly/spina bifida incidence during this period.
ISSN:0007-1242
0143-005X
1470-2738
DOI:10.1136/jech.28.2.81