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From: mazlack@ernie.BERKELEY.EDU (Lawrence J. &)
Newsgroups: net.med,net.cse,net.periphs
Subject: Re: HELP! Need to show VDTs not dangerous to pregnant women
Message-ID: <11151@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 18:18:14 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11151
Posted: Wed Dec  4 18:18:14 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Dec-85 20:47:25 EST
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Reply-To: mazlack@ernie.UUCP (Lawrence J. Mazlack)
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>>...
>>Some students in the course who are pregnant are now objecting
>>that they do not want to use a video display terminal, because
>>they believe it is dangerous and related to birth defects.
>>
>>Does anyone have data or reports they can mail me or point me to,
>>which can help allay these students' fears?  
>
>The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has
>published a number of summaries of visual display terminal (VDT)
>health issues over the last 5 years.  You can write to them at:
>
>	NIOSH, Publications Disseminations, DTS
>	4676 Columbia Parkway
>	Cincinnati, Ohio  45226
>	Attn: VDT

There is an article in COMPUTER DECISIONS, November, 19, 1985, which talks about
this topic.  Apparently, there was a Spanish study done with chicken embryos
that found reproductive problems.  The article goes on to quote a NIOSH 
representative (Barry Johnson):
    "I haven't seen a convincing study on reproductive problems and VDTs.
     There's a crying need for such a study to be undertaken and completed."
Other people on the roundtable discussion also agreed that it was an open 
issue. They also agreed that a good, controlled study to support either side
had yet to be done.

I think that the previous studies centered on the effects on workers, not on
their unborn. 

If you can't get a copy of COMPUTER DECISIONS (a trade magazine), E-mail me 
a physical address and I will send you a copy.  However, I think that
someone carrying a child would not be reassured by this article.

...Larry Mazlack MAZLACK@ERNIE.BERKELEY.EDU