NCD980602163_19840411_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_Re birth defects potentially related to PCB-OCR

DIVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
P.O. Box 2091
Raleigh, N.C. 27602-2091
MEMORANDUM
TO: John I. Freeman, D.V.M., M.P.H.
Environmental Epidemiology Branch
FROM: fln7 C. Gregory Smith, M.D., M.P.H.
()Y Environmental Epidemiology Branch
DATE: April 11, 1984
Ronald H. Levine, M.D., M.P.H.
ST A TE HEAL TH DIRECTOR ...
I wanted to inform you that Tom Karnoski of the Solid and Hazardous Waste
Branch informed me that he received a call from Marty Allen, a sanitarian
in Warren County, informing him that a Duke University physician (I believe
he was a resident) named Dr. Young had recently evaluated a woman in her
second trimester (or early third trimester) of pregnancy who is carrying
a child apparently with two major birth defects, hydrocephalus and menin-
gomyelocele. Although I have not spoken with the physician, it is my under-
standing that he speculated that these birth defects may have been related
to some environmental expos-ure, perhaps PCB. Apparently he suggested that
this particular case be investigated by the state. According to Tom Karnoski,
from information he has received in discussing the issue with the sanitarian,
the mother had no known exposure to PCBs. The road she lived on apparently
was not one of the ones contaminated by PCB although it intersected a road
that was contaminated.
At this time we have no information to indicate that this woman was exposed
to PCBs. We have no information on her occupation or that of the father.
Other pertinent information would include therapeutic and non-therapeutic
medication/drug exposure during the first trimester and exposure to physical
agents such as radiation and infectious agents.
As you know, there is no way to attribute the occurrence of a single birth
defect to a particular environmental agent. However, since some individuals
may try to attribute this lady's unfortunate pregnancy to PCBs which were
landfilled in Warren County, T thought it appropriate that you should be
aware of the in~ormation and the many other possibilities that exist with
respect to causation of such a defect. I have placed a call to Joe Lennon
to discuss this issue with him further but have not heard from him at this
time. I will be glad to talk with Dr. Young to obtain more intormation on
this particular occurrence. However, l do not have his full name and phone
number or where to reach him at this time. Perhaps Joe Lennon will have
that information.
CGS:lr
cc: Ted Taylor
✓Tom Karnoski
Jomes B Hunt, Jr/ Sarah T. Morrow M.D . MPH STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ~~""""~-DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES ,, ____ :. '
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