George Monbiot's November 2011 attacks in The Guardian
Genetic damage is the main issue of concern

A few people have wondered about the significance of the picture at the foot of the previous page. It shows a human foetus with a profound neural tube defect. I found it on Google images by searching "congenital malformations".

Congenital malformations or "birth defects" are physical defects present in a baby at birth. They may be caused by a genetic factor or by prenatal events that are not genetic. In a malformation, the development of a structure is arrested, delayed, or misdirected early in embryonic life and the effect is permanent.

Congenital malformations are frequently observed following episodes of radioactive pollution, for example the American bombardment of Fallujah in 2004.

Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. The two most common are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely during the first month of pregnancy. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In anencephaly, much of the brain does not develop. Babies with anencephaly are either stillborn or die shortly after birth.

Richard Bramhall, 2nd December 2011