STOP NATO: �NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > (Dutch Journal Medical Science, 26 May, 2001; 145(21), p.1024) > > Foreign news > > Too many babies without eyes > > Mohammed A. Salman, an eye surgeon from Baghdad, is reporting via the > internet about the phenomenon anophthalmos: babies who have been born > with only one eye or who are missing both eyes. This is a rare anomaly, > which normally exists at 1 of the 50 million births. The Iraqi eye doctor, > however, is reporting 9 cases in two years; 8 babies are missing both eyes. > > The Flemish eye doctor Edward De Sutter from the Groeninghe Hospital > in Kortrijk picked up the message from internet and started a scientific > discussion with Salman per e-mail. On the critical and unbelieving questions > from De Sutter, Salman proposed to come and to look by himself. De Sutter > accepted the invitation and came to Iraq, together with two other colleague > eye doctors. What he saw in Iraq, was horrible, like he writes in the > Flemish daily 'De Standaard' (5 May, 2001). > > De Sutter examined a number of children by himself which was > born without eyes, but also saw some pictures of children with grotesque > anomalies, such as the start of one eye in the middle of the face: the > so-called cyclops. His colleague Roland Bonneux examined children with an > absent crown of the skull who were keeping alive in the incubator. "I am not > so much bewildered about the presence of the anomalies as well about the > great number out of them", says De Sutter. Out of the 4000 births there are > 20 with such anomalies. "Iraq seems to be a scientific curiosity." > > The cause is evident according to Salman: from 7 of the 8 > anophthalmosic babies who missed both eyes, the fathers have been > exposed to U.S. antitank weapons during the attack of the U.S. on Iraq in > 1991. At this depleted uranium was used. According to the official point of > view from the U.S. the radioactive particles, which released during the use > of such weapons, pose no danger for the health, but various groups - amongst > them participants of the conflicts in Kosovo in 1999 - disputing this. > > Leaving all political sensitivities aside it has been clear to De Sutter > that Salman needs help. Not only concrete aid of medicines and material, but > also aid in the field of scientific knowledge and support. On a special web > page of the Association of Eye doctors in Flanders "http://www.vvov.be"; more > is mentioned about the mission of De Sutter to Iraq and the aid program that > he and his colleagues want to set up. > > Translation by Henk van der Keur > > Notes: The web page is Dutch; however also for not Dutch speaking > people it is worth to visit. There is a report with pictures. > > Contact: > > Dr.Med.Dr.Sc. Edward De Sutter > Dienst Oogziekten > C.A.Z.K. O.L.V. Groeninghe > Campus Sint-Maarten > B. J. Vercruysselaan 5 > B-8500 Kortrijk > > Mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > The web page on which Dr. De Sutter is referring to is probably: > "http://www.uruklink.net/iraqnews/echild.htm"; > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > stichting Laka Laka foundation > documentatie en onderzoeks- documentation and research > centrum kernenergie centre on nuclear energy > Ketelhuisplein 43 Ketelhuisplein 43 > 1054 RD Amsterdam NL-1054 RD Amsterdam > tel: 020-6168294 Netherlands > fax: 020-6892179 tel: +31-20-6168294 > fax: 31-20-6892179 > _________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
