Question:
I am currently experiencing problems with my bones "breaking" easily. Is this a possible birth defect not considered?

Answer:
The only condition in siblings that I'm aware of that the VA has deemed service connected to Agent Orange is spinal bifida. I'm not aware of any other. However, due to some recent studies, they have determined that veteran females who served under certain conditions in Vietnam appear to have an increase incidence in certain birth defects.

According to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Togo West, the VA will seek legislation for compensation for children born with birth defects, other than spinal bifida, involving female veterans who served in Vietnam. Because the proposed legislation has to be introduced and passed by the Congress, the VA does not yet have the authority to pay benefits for these children. There was no mention of what kind of birth defects the VA intends to cover in the report.

You should check the VA site and see if you might find anything out. They have an excellent appeals section that you can actually search by terms. The URL is http://www.va.gov. Also, you can call the VA about this and see if they can help you first hand. Their 800 number is 800-827-1000. If you give me your city and state I can also give you the phone number of the nearest VARO. You might also talk about this with the Disabled American Veterans organization. The URL is http://www.dav.org. There are other veteran organizations in the Veteran Links section that may likewise be of help to you in this regard.

Al Colombo

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