How nuclear radiation could affect fetuses

Japan Tsunamis: How Nuclear Radiation Could Affect Fetuses - The Daily Beast: Those most affected by the nuclear crisis could be the next generation of Japanese. Alizah Salario on what radiation does to a fetus — and why cultural stigma could make things even worse.

Even at radiation levels too low to make a mother-to-be sick, health consequences for a fetus can be severe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fetal exposure to radiation is particularly damaging during the stage of organogenesis (9-42 days), a period of gestation crucial to the development of the heart, lungs, and brain.

The crisis has opened old wounds in regards to Japan’s unique history of radiation exposure, reminding those old enough to recall World War II of the social stigma that plagued parents of afflicted babies. If we go back to the history of the atomic bombs, one of the things that happened was that parents typically would not apply for their bomb victims health booklets because they worried they’d be identified as hibakusha,” said Norma Field, a professor of Japanese culture and literature at the University of Chicago.