kind of relevant...my mom and aunt grew up in Nevada in the '50s when the gov was testing the atom bomb. The gov said it was safe to watch as long as they didn't look directly at the blast. They said it was safe to look at through "smoked glass". So they would go up on the mountain and watch them set off the bombs out in the desert, kind of like we watch fireworks shows today, complete with lawn chairs and ice chests full of beer. My mom was 14 and my aunt was 12. My mom and aunt each had 3 kids. There is no family history of any of the following medical problems. None of our deformities are visible, but were severe enough to require surgery. Our medical issues include:

Me: a deformed L5 vertebrae causing a 50% spondylolisthesis (vertebra slipped forward 14 mm). I've had 2 spinal fusion surgeries, the first at age 14. The second at age 43 with 6 screws and 4 rods. I also had to have reconstructive surgery on both feet with surgical pins. And I have a pituitary tumor that caused infertility.

My cousin has an extra vertebra "L6" and deformed hips. She needs both hips replaced at age 40. She also had to have reconstructive surgery on both feet. And she had fertility problems.

My brother was born missing 6 teeth and his jaw was deformed so that his back teeth didn't touch at all. He had to chew with his front teeth until surgery where they cut the upper jaw, brought it down, and filled it in with bone grafts to bring his upper teeth down so he could chew.

My sister was born with a messed up immune system that required gamma globulin injections as a child. She also had deformed hips and legs and had to wear leg braces for a few years as a toddler. She still stands funny with hypermobile knees so that her legs arch the wrong way when she stands with knees locked.

Another cousin also had a messed up immune system and had to get gammagobulin injections as a child.

We've always assumed it was from watching the bombs at puberty age.