France Launches Nationwide Probe Into Baby Arm Birth Defects

France has launched a nationwide probe into incidents of babies being born with either missing or malformed arms after abnormal rates of birth defects in several regions have sparked a public health scare.

Francois Bourdillon, head of the Public Health France agency, confirmed for the first time that a national investigation was "underway" and the results would be known in about three months.

"Nothing is being hidden from you," he assured listeners to RTL radio.