HEARTBREAKING: 40 Years After The Use Of Chemical Weapons, Disfigured Babies Still Born In Vietnam

Babies in Vietnam are still being born with serious disabilities, disfigurement and mutations due to usage of chemical weapons, despite the military conflict with U.S. has been over since 1971. The chemical, known as Agent Orange, was sprayed from U.S. aircraft on jungle, to destroy leaves, crops, plants and trees, and, therefore making the life and hiding of Vietnamese guerrilla fighters impossible. This weapon of mass destruction causes a range of birth defects, as well as cancer and reproductive abnormalities. Many children born with defects are being dropped to orphanages by their parents. The poor families usually cannot afford the burden of raising a disabled child. They need healthy kids to work and to create income. A British-born photographer, Francis Wade, made a trip to Southern Vietnam, visited the Thi Nghe and Thien Phuoc orphanages. The heartbreaking photos below show the devastating effects of 1961-1971 Vietnam War, which are still being felt by the modern generations. WARNING: Explicit Content, Viewer Discretion Is Advised * The child suffers from hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, a consequence of chemical weapons' usage * Another disfigured boy who was dropped by his parents * 17-year-old boy in bed at one of the orphanages, suffering from both physical and mental health problems * One of the orphans who requires 24/7 care * Sometimes the children have to be tied to their beds, or their hands have to be tied together to prevent them from injuring themselves