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Birth defects 'rise' in Falluja Falluja 'sees more birth defects'
(20 minutes later)
A paediatrician and parents have told the BBC of a high level of birth defects among children in Falluja, Iraq, blaming weapons used by the US. Doctors in the Iraqi city of Falluja are reporting a high level of birth defects, with some blaming weapons used by the US after the Iraq invasion.
Six years ago, in 2004, there were fierce battles as US forces subdued two uprisings in the town. The city witnessed fierce fighting in 2004 as US forces carried out a major offensive against insurgents.
Now, one hospital doctor told the BBC that they see two or three cases of birth defects each day. Now, the level of heart defects among newborn babies is said to be 13 times higher than in Europe.
The US military says it is not aware of any official reports showing an increase in birth defects in the area.The US military says it is not aware of any official reports showing an increase in birth defects in the area.
It says it always takes public health concerns about any population now living in a combat theatre "very seriously". BBC world affairs editor John Simpson visited a new, US-funded hospital in Falluja and was told by a paediatrician that he was seeing as many as two or three cases a day, mainly cardiac defects.
I am a doctor, I have to be scientific... I have no proof and I have nothing documented, but I can tell you that year by year they were increasing Local hospital doctor
"No studies to date have indicated environmental issues resulting in specific health issues," said US Military Health System Communications Director Michael Kilpatrick.
"Unexploded ordinance, including improvised explosive devises, are a recognised hazard," he added.
But local people blame the weapons used by the US troops during the fighting.
It was hard to find doctors at the brand-new, US-funded hospital in Falluja who were prepared to talk about the problem.
'Savage epidemic'
I was told they were scared to speak because the Iraqi government did not want to create trouble for the Americans.
40 miles (64km) west of the capital BaghdadMajor city in the predominantly Sunni province of Anbar, a hotbed of insurgency following US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 Burned corpses of four ambushed US contractors dragged through the streets of the city in March 2004 Scene of major US-led offensive against insurgents in November 2004, when thousands of marines stormed the cityUS military's use of white phosphorus munitions in that offensive widely condemned Situation in Anbar as a whole calmer since 2006, when tribal "Awakening Councils" turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq40 miles (64km) west of the capital BaghdadMajor city in the predominantly Sunni province of Anbar, a hotbed of insurgency following US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 Burned corpses of four ambushed US contractors dragged through the streets of the city in March 2004 Scene of major US-led offensive against insurgents in November 2004, when thousands of marines stormed the cityUS military's use of white phosphorus munitions in that offensive widely condemned Situation in Anbar as a whole calmer since 2006, when tribal "Awakening Councils" turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq
The official line is that Falluja has only two or three cases of birth defects a year more than normal. Our correspondent also saw children in the city who were suffering from paralysis or brain damage - and a photograph of one baby who was born with three heads.
But, in the children's ward, I spoke to a paediatrician who told me he saw as many as two or three cases a day, mainly cardiac defects. He adds that he heard many times that officials in Falluja had warned women that they should not have children.
That would mean that this medium-sized town has some 1,000 cases of birth defects a year. Doctors and parents believe the problem is the highly sophisticated weapons the US troops used in Falluja six years ago.
Every doctor, and every parent I spoke to there, believed the problem was the highly sophisticated weapons the US troops used against Falluja six years ago. British-based Iraqi researcher Malik Hamdan told the BBC's World Today programme that doctors in Falluja were witnessing a "massive unprecedented number" of heart defects, and an increase in the number of nervous system defects.
The rubble from the damaged buildings was bulldozed into the river - and people in Falluja have got their drinking water from there ever since. She said that one doctor in the city had compared data about birth defects from before 2003 - when she saw about one case every two months - with the situation now, when, she saw cases every day.
I went to a house where all three young children were suffering from paralysis or brain damage. Ms Hamdan said that based on data from January this year, the rate of congenital heart defects was 95 per 1,000 births - 13 times the rate found in Europe.
A man who heard I was there brought his daughter to show me - she had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, and suffered from several serious diseases. "I've seen footage of babies born with an eye in the middle of the forehead, the nose on the forehead," she added.
Falluja is in the grip of a savage epidemic, and the victims are the weakest and most vulnerable of all. A spokesman for the US military, Michael Kilpatrick, said it always took public health concerns "very seriously".
"No studies to date have indicated environmental issues resulting in specific health issues," he said.
Are you based in Falluja? Have you been affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments using the form below: "Unexploded ordinance, including improvised explosive devises, are a recognised hazard," he added.
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