If you were stationed, lived, or worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for 30 cumulative days or more between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987, you were exposed to high levels of toxic chemicals and known carcinogens. This exposure has had a profound impact on the military community, causing high rates of cancer and other serious illnesses among veterans and their families.

With the recent passage of the Honoring our PACT Act and the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, it is understandable that some families who were at Camp Lejeune during the period of toxic exposure may be left wondering: Did the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune cause my child’s birth defect?