Microwave Fields Affect Your Newborn's Asthma; Is It Worth It?

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Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 03 Aug 2011 - 6:00 PDT

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Is it possible that using a microwave or being exposed to other electronic magnetic fields (EMF) when pregnant contribute to higher risk of asthma in newborn children? A new study says yes in the first research of its kind ever performed.

Previous research has found that MF generated typically by power lines and appliances such as microwave ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners could lead to miscarriage, poor semen quality, immune disorders, and certain type of cancers. Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a WHO agency, classified radio frequency EMF as a possible carcinogen.

The prevalence of asthma has been steadily rising since the 1980s, making it the most common chronic condition among children. Thirteen percent of children under 18 have asthma, which is caused by malfunction of the respiratory organs and the immune system. Women with high exposure to electronic magnetic fields (EMF) during pregnancy may have a higher risk of asthma in their children, according to a Kaiser Permanente, a well known and respected hospital group.

De-Kun Li, MD, PhD, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. Dr. Li published the original study in 2002 that found high EMF exposure can lead to miscarriage comments:

"While the replication of the finding is needed, the message here is exposure to electromagnetic fields is not good, and we need to pay attention to its adverse effect on health. EMF exposure is ubiquitous. Because of the widespread exposure, any adverse health effect of EMF could impact many people and cause a serious public health problem."

For this current study, researchers compared the daily magnetic field exposure of 801 pregnant women in Kaiser Permanente Northern California and used electronic medical records to follow their children for 13 years to see which children developed asthma. The study found that women with high MF exposure in pregnancy had a more than threefold risk of asthma in their offspring compared with mothers whose exposure level was low.

This is the first study to demonstrate a link between maternal magnetic field exposure in pregnancy and the risk of asthma in offspring.

What was the method though? Women in this study wore a small meter during their pregnancy that measured their daily dryers, vacuum cleaners, fans, coffee grinders and fluorescent light bulbs, power lines, and transformer stations. This study did not measure high frequency (radio frequency) MFs from wireless networks, wireless towers and wireless devices such as cell phones and smart meters. The researchers adjusted for study participants who lived near freeways but it did not change the results of the EMF-asthma association.

Dr. Li continues:

"In this study, we observed a dose-response relationship between mother's MF level in pregnancy and the asthma risk in her offspring. In other words, a higher maternal MF exposure during pregnancy led to a higher asthma risk in offspring, The best way to reduce your magnetic field exposure is distance. Magnetic field strength drops dramatically with increasing distance from the source, So pregnant women should try to limit their exposure to known MF sources and keep distance from them when they are in use."

Written by Sy Kraft
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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