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#Grand Rounds

Is There a Relationship between Magnetic Field Radiation and an Increased Risk of Miscarriage?

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 

  • Everyone is exposed to magnetic field (MF) non-ionizing radiation  
  • Traditional sources include power lines, appliances and transformers 
  • Newer sources include wireless networks, cell towers and cell phones  
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified MF as a possible carcinogen 
  • Li et al. (Scientific Reports, 2017) sought to determine whether there is an association between exposure to MF and miscarriage risk 

METHODS: 

  • Prospective cohort study  
  • Research included pregnant members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (San Francisco Bay area) system 
  • Positive pregnancy tests were used to ensured early recruitment  
    • Women <10 weeks gestation were eligible  
  • MR measurements  
    • Study focused on high levels of MF exposure 
      • 99th percentile of MF measurements during the 24 hour period was used to classify exposure level  
    • Women carried a meter for 24 hours on a typical day (measures MF in milligauss [mG]) 
    • Low MF exposure: 99th percentile of MF exposure levels was in the lowest quartile (<2.5 mG) 
    • Higher three quartiles were classified in the high MF exposure group 
  • Women kept a diary so that researchers could  
    • Identify locations 
    • Verify that activities were typical  
    • Examine if locations/activities were associated with higher MF exposure  
  • An in-person interview was conducted with all participants to ascertain potential confounders, including pregnancy history and risk factors for miscarriage 
  • Results adjusted for maternal age at interview, race, education, smoking since LMP and prior miscarriage 
  • Additional variables used for adjustments included maternal nausea/vomiting, maternal income, marital status, alcohol use, caffeine intake, maternal fever, vaginal bleeding, urinary tract infection, carrying loads > 10lbs, exposure to solvents or degreasers, vitamin intake and Jacuzzi/hot tub/steam room/sauna use during pregnancy 

RESULTS: 

  • Among 1,627 eligible women, 1,054 participated  
  • After controlling for confounders and using data from a typical day, women who were exposed to higher levels of MF had 2.72 times the risk of miscarriage (hazard ratio = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.42–5.19)  
  • There was no dose-response observed above 2.5 mG  
  • This association was conserved despite location and source of high MF 
  • The correlation was stronger if MF was measured on a typical day of participants’ pregnancies 

CONCLUSION: 

  • These results support previous publications that noted an associated between high MF levels in pregnancy and increasing risk of miscarriage 
  • Lack of dose-response may be related to threshold radiation effects  
  • This study identified an almost 3-fold increase in miscarriage risk, independent of sources or locations 

Learn More – Primary Sources:  

Exposure to Magnetic Field Non-Ionizing Radiation and the Risk of Miscarriage: A Prospective Cohort Study 

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Practical obstetrics info for your women's healthcare practice
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Practical obstetrics info for your women's healthcare practice
Can a CT Scan Be Used In Pregnancy?
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Benefit or Risk to Delaying Pregnancy after Miscarriage?

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