Summary
There has been concern that male military personnel are at increased risk of adverse reproductive outcomes as a result of exposure to multiple compounds whilst serving in the first Persian Gulf War (1991).
Known exposures potentially encountered during the first Gulf War include: organophosphate pesticides, nerve agents such as sarin and cyclosarin, nerve agent antidotes such as pyridostigmine, pralidoxime and atropine, depleted uranium, vaccinations against biological agents such as anthrax and botulinum toxin, in addition to smoke from oil well fires. However, not all deployed Gulf War veterans would have been exposed to each of the agents listed above and other unrecognised exposures may also have occurred. This is one of the major limitations that should be taken into account when considering findings of studies which compare reproductive outcomes of deployed vs. non-deployed veterans.
The majority of the available data do not support an association between military deployment in the first Gulf War and an overall increased risk of congenital malformation in offspring. Increased rates of specific malformations (including cardiac, urinary, musculoskeletal and genital) have been reported in the offspring of male Gulf War veterans in some but not other studies.
Studies which investigated fertility of veterans have relied heavily on self-reporting of problems, with many failing to reach a definitive conclusion. Data regarding risk of miscarriage are also conflicting.
Only one study was identified that investigated the risk of cancer in the offspring of male Gulf War veterans, with no association found.
Paternal exposure to drugs and/or chemicals is generally considered unlikely to increase the risk of congenital malformation in the offspring, unless the exposure is a mutagen and therefore has the potential to induce a genetic change in the sperm.
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