Lyn McLean is Australia’s foremost expert on understanding and reducing exposure to electromagnetic exposures in homes, businesses and learning environments.:  www.emraustralia.com.au

Are you pregnant or planning for pregnancy?

Then here’s a good reason to reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

In a study published late last year, researchers found that pregnant women who were exposed to high levels of EMFs had a higher-than-normal risk of miscarriage.

The authors reviewed previous studies that were conducted on miscarriage and exposure to mobile phones and magnetic fields of the sorts emitted by power lines and wiring.

‘The present meta-analysis study showed that the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who were exposed to EMF was 1.69 times higher than the risk for women who were not exposed,’ they concluded.

They found that miscarriage risks were affected by:

• the mother’s distance from the wireless source and the frequency of its signal
• the length of the exposure
• the strength of the exposure (double the risk was found at a magnetic field of 16 milliGauss)
• daily time spent using a mobile phone and where the phone was positioned on the body
• the period of pregnancy (risks were higher in early pregnancy).

EMFs could also damage the growth and health of the foetus, the study found.

The authors suggested a number of ways in which EMFs could cause miscarriages:

"EMF may affect chemical interactions in cell membranes; they may decrease the permeability of cell membranes, which results in decreased cell connections; they may increase the number of free radicals in the body; they can impair mitotic divisions; and EMF may damage cell proteins and cause cell severance. Another theory is that the depth of penetration by EMF into tissues increases when fluids are low."

The authors say their findings could be used to help prevent miscarriages in the future:

"It is hoped that the results of this study will increase awareness of healthcare providers about the adverse effects of electromagnetic waves on pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. In this way, pregnant women will be encouraged to protect themselves from exposure to electromagnetic waves.

"Pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy counseling on the proper way to limit exposure to electromagnetic waves from electrical appliances and devices, mobile phones and wireless internet may reduce the risk of spontaneous abortions," they wrote.

Sources:  Irani M, Aradmehr M, Ghorbani M, Baghani R. Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Abortion in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Malays J Med Sci. 2023 Oct;30(5):70-80. doi: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.5.6. Epub 2023 Oct 30. PMID: 37928787; PMCID: PMC10624444.