Did Camp Lejeune Water Cause Your Baby’s Birth Defects?

 Posted on October 27, 2022 in Personal Injury

Soon-to-be parents decorate rooms and expect their bundle of joy with anticipation and joy. But that excitement may have been short-lived if you were at Camp Lejeune and learned that your baby would be born with birth defects. The annual hospitalization cost in the United States related to birth defects is more than $2.6 billion. Camp Lejeune babies did not have a fighting chance because their mothers were unknowingly exposed to extremely high levels of chemicals normally found in paint thinner, gas, and oven cleaners which caused catastrophic injuries. 

Poisoned Water

The water at the base contained extremely harmful solvents and cleaning solutions, including perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Between August 1953 and December 1987, the levels of these chemicals were thousands of times higher than is considered safe by the EPA. It is estimated that more than one million people were exposed to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune and thousands of them were women.

Types of Birth Defects Linked to Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

Birth defects develop when the child is in the mother’s womb normally within the first three months of pregnancy. That is a critical period because it is when the baby's organs begin to form. Several scientific studies have shown a link between maternal in-utero exposure to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune and birth defects.

One study looked at the medical records of children born between 1968 and 1985.  Babies who were exposed while in the womb were four times more likely to be born with the following birth defects:

• Childhood hematopoietic cancers such as leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Neural tube defects including such as spina bifida, anencephaly (missing parts of the brain and skull), and microcephaly (head is smaller than expected)
• Oral clefts

From 1992 to 2002 mothers reported birth defects as well, confirming previous findings.

Mothers with the longest exposure to the contaminated water had the highest rate of birth defects. The study findings were consistent with earlier studies that found an increased risk, especially if exposed during the first trimester.

Manner of Exposure

There was no safe water anywhere on the base. The way you were likely exposed to the contaminated water includes:

• Drinking the water
• Cooking with the water
• Washing fruits and vegetables with the toxic water
• Washing your hands
• Showering and bathing
• Brushing your teeth

Long-Term Needs

The emotional turmoil of having a child with birth defects can be a heavy burden for any parent. There are endless physical therapy sessions and, in some cases, surgeries. The truth of the matter is that costs associated with birth defects continue well beyond a person’s adult life. Average hospitalization costs are $13,000 a year for medical issues associated with birth defects among people 65 years or older.

Contact a Joliet Camp Lejeune Injury Lawyer

If your baby was born with birth defects caused by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune at Schwartz Injury Law we can try to help you so you alone do not have to take on the burden of your long-term medical bills caused by someone’s negligence. Contact a Cook County Camp Lejeune injury attorney by calling 708-226-9000 for a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/infographic.html  

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/docs/ATSDR_summary_of_the_evidence_for_causality_TCE_PCE_508.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/data.html

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6602a1.htm