re: #2 calochortus

Have you read it? Its 9 pages.

I doubt if its been peer reviewed yet.

Phone calls to state newborn screening program coordinators
for monthly confirmed primary CH cases for
2010 and 2011 provided data for 41 of 50 states, representing
87% of all US births. Included in the 41 states
were all five Pacific/West Coast States. Most of the other
states not sharing statistical data were small states with
under 10 cases per year, whose policies would not permit
release of small numbers of cases due to confidentiality
concerns. States reporting data are given in Appendix 2.

It is statistically significant.

For births March 17 to December 31, the 2010-2011
change in confirmed CH cases in the five Pacific/West
Coast States was significantly greater than for 36 other
US States (p < 0.02).

Understanding why CH rates have risen in developed
nations such as the U.S. is a complex task, as multiple
factors are likely involved. Exposure to radiation, especially
the thyroid-seeking radioiodine isotopes, should be
considered as one of these factors. The meltdown at Fukushima
Dai-ichi presents an opportunity to analyze this
factor, and studies such as this one should continue.