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LONDON, March 21, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Birth defects are on the rise in Britain due to illegal drug use and the increase of artificial estrogen drugs in the environment.  Certain kinds of birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate, hypospadias (a penis deformity), and gastroschisis (when intestines protrude through the abdominal wall) have risen by 50% in the past 5 years, according to the UK’s Birth Defects Foundation.  Dr. Michael Patton of St George’s Hospital says the increase “could be due to recreational drug use during pregnancy.” The increase in hypospadias, says Iuen Hughes, professor of paediatrics at Cambridge University, may be linked to the increase of estrogen-like chemicals in the environment. The latter, also called xenoestrogens, exist in thousands of products from cosmetics to pesticides. Another product that contains man-made chemicals is, of course, birth control pills—but the New Scientist did not mention these as a possible factor.  For New Scientist coverage:  https://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992056