Obstetric outcomes in West Cumberland Hospital: is there a risk from Sellafield?

A retrospective study was made of the obstetric outcome of 18,252 babies born in West Cumberland Hospital in the years 1975 to 1985. There were 934 premature births (before 37 weeks), 555 small for dates births (under 2.5 kg but not before 37 weeks), 167 stillbirths, 125 neonatal deaths and 236 reported congenital malformations. The 212 babies born to mothers from Seascale during that time were compared with the births to mothers from other areas in West Cumbria Health District in order to assess any adverse effect from possible radioactive discharge at nearby Sellafield. There was no evidence of any increased incidence of these outcomes in Seascale births. Adequate retrospective data on miscarriage rates were not available, but using indirect information on hospital inpatients, no statistically significant increased incidence was found, although the absolute numbers of miscarriage in Seascale were slightly higher than expected. From this evidence, no adverse effects on completed pregnancies can be attributed to the Sellafield plant of British Nuclear Fuels. However, a prospective study of miscarriage incidence in West Cumbria and near other nuclear installations is urgently needed.