The male infant of a woman who took ginseng throughout her pregnancy was born with unusually large testicles and thick, black pubic hair. An investigation suggested that the ginseng was responsible for the changes. The mother had noticed thicker hair growth while taking the ginseng to control her mood swings and irritability. The patients in this study had failed to respond to other treatments over a course of several years. A recent review of causes of childhood cancer reports that about five percent of all cases are attributed to radiation exposure during the pregnancy.
Some cases are due to chemotherapy.
Other causes are not known. Half of all cases of childhood leukemia die during the first five years after onset of the disease. A male factor is responsible for about half of the cases in couples evaluated for primary infertility. Antibiotic use should be considered in the evaluation of infertility.