1. Lupine-Induced Crooked Calf Disease

2. Situation Analysis Baby born in NW CA with severe bone deformities. –Partial absence of forearm bones –Absent thumbs

3. Possibilities Herbicide spraying in area linked to birth defects. Lupine (type of herbage) found in area also shown to be responsible for “crooked-calf disease” in domestic animals. –Goats have been giving birth to stillborn/abnormal kids. –Puppies from dog fed goat milk also exhibit abnormalities. –Human mother also drank goat milk during her pregnancy.

4. Crooked-Calf Disease Causes bone abnormalities in forelimbs. –To a lesser extent affects spine and skull Directly linked to ingestion of lupine alkaloid (anagyrine) by the mother. 1

5. Hypothesis Birth defects result from contaminated goat milk consumption by mother during early pregnancy. –Other plants in region (poison hemlock, wild tobacco, skunk cabbage) also may be responsible for birth defects. 2

6. Evidence Alkaloids from consumed plants have been shown to readily transfer into the milk of the mother. 3 Deformities exhibited by human child nearly identical to crooked-calf disease caused by toxic plants. Lupine consumption has been widely accepted as the cause of crooked-calf disease.

7. Conclusions No conclusive evidence is available. –Ethical constraint of knowingly feeding poisons to pregnant women. Evidence points towards supporting hypothesis.

8. References 1.Animal Science 434 Case. www.wisc.edu/ansci_repro www.wisc.edu/ansci_repro 2.University of Purdue Veterinary School. www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant28.ht m www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant28.ht m 3.University of California Cooperative Extension Environmental Toxicology Newsletter. http://extoxnet.orst.edu/newsletters/n23_81.htm