Assessment of the potential impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on maternal and fetal health in Hungary

Abstract

Objective: Radiation exposure is known to be mutagenic and teratogenic. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the increased ionizing radiation emitted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on maternal and fetal outcomes in Hungary. Methods: A retrospective analysis of abortion, stillbirth, and congenital anomaly data for pregnancies in Hungary between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1991 was conducted. Results: Trend analysis revealed increasing trends in spontaneous and voluntary abortion rates in Hungary during the study time period, while late pregnancy losses showed a decreasing trend. Overall, there were generally decreasing incidence rates for birth defects throughout the 1980s. Increased voluntary abortions over the study period might reflect, at least in part, maternal anxiety in the post-Chernobyl years. Decreased late pregnancy loss over the same period may be attributable to improvements in prenatal diagnostics. A notable weakness of this study is that missing data could not be complemented due to the decades that have passed since the incident. Conclusions: In conclusion, the present data suggest that the nuclear catastrophe in 1986 did not cause a significant increase in pregnancy loss or congenital malformations in Hungary.