Counter to rumor, Fukushima Prefecture has not seen rising rates of miscarriages or abortions due to radiation exposure — or fear of it — since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11 last year, a survey reveals.
The finding suggests that radiation released from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, or stress related to it, has probably not seriously affected the physical or mental health of pregnant women in Fukushima.
"Of course, we didn't believe the rumor, but we just wanted to confirm that it was groundless," said Fukushima Medical University professor Keiya Fujimori, who led the survey team.