Why does radiation affect the brain, like in the Chernobyl distaster, where in disfigured newborn babies to this day?

Question: Why does radiation affect the brain, like in the Chernobyl distaster, where in disfigured newborn babies to this day?
- Keywords:
  chernobyl,
  radiation
Asked by alexread1997 to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 15 Jun 2011.
- Suzi Gage answered on 15 Jun 2011:
  
  Hi @alexread1997
  Radiation causes cells to mutate and grow much larger than they should. These cells are called tumours. They can happen all over the body, not just in the brain. When they grow too large they can destroy healthy cells, which make people unwell, and sometimes they become cancerous, which is really dangerous.
  
  Hope this answers your question, thanks!

Question: Why does radiation affect the brain, like in the Chernobyl distaster, where in disfigured newborn babies to this day?