title: Pregnancy outcomes among U.S. women Vietnam veterans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the 1965-1975 Vietnam War, there has been persistent concern that women who served in the U.S. military in Vietnam may have experienced adverse pregnancy outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared self-reported pregnancy outcomes for 4,140 women Vietnam veterans with those of 4,140 contemporary women veterans who were not deployed to Vietnam. As a measure of association, we calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression adjusting for age at conception, race, education, military nursing status, smoking, drinking and other exposures during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant association between military service in Vietnam and index pregnancies resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth, low birth weight, pre-term delivery, or infant death. The risk of having children with "moderate-to-severe" birth defects was significantly elevated among Vietnam veterans (adjusted OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.06-2.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of birth defects among index children was significantly associated with mother's military service in Vietnam.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Epidemiology Service, Veterans Health Administration Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC 20036-3406, USA. han.kang@mail.va.gov
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mahan
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mather
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matanoski
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans; D014744:Vietnam