Title: Effect of electromagnetic waves of cellular phones on fetal blood flow and heart rate patterns: a pi
1Effect of electromagnetic waves of cellular
phones on fetal blood flow and heart rate
patterns a pilot study
- Thesis presented by
- Amr Hazim Abbassy M.B, B.Ch
- Supervised by
- Prof. Dr. Ismaeel Foad Al-Aseily
- Assistant Professor Dr. Osama Mahmoud Azmy
- Assistant Prof Dr.Foad Abdelqader Abohemela
2Question Doctor, is it safe to use the mobile
phone during pregnancy?
3 Scientific Background
- Increased use of cellular phones during pregnancy
while little is known about their hazards. - Proximity of the fetus to cell phone during
transport and use. - Studies indicate that there might be health
hazards at non-thermal levels as well as
behavioral disorders in the offspring.
4Scientific Background continued
- Cellular phones emit microwave radiation in the
spectrum region of 800-900 MHz - The rate at which radiation is absorbed is
measured by the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). - Currently, it is difficult to measure the amount
ELF absorbed by the fetus due to cellular phone
use.
5Aim of the work
- To assess the effect of cellular phones on
pregnancy. - To provide guidelines and safety measures for
using the technology during pregnancy. - To provide an addition to the growing research
done worldwide on the possible health hazards of
this relatively new technology.
6The Fetal Heart Rate
- Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring is
commonly used to assess fetal well-being - The fetal heart rate undergoes constant and
minute adjustments in response to the fetal
environment and stimuli. - The FHR is controlled by the autonomic nervous
system. The inhibitory influence on the heart
rate is conveyed by the vagus nerve, whereas
excitatory influence is conveyed by the
sympathetic nervous system.
7The Fetal Heart Rate continued
- The normal FHR range is between 120 and 160
beats per minute (bpm). - Fetal heart rate patterns are classified as
reassuring, nonreassuring or ominous. - Reassuring patterns correlate well with a good
fetal outcome, while nonreassuring patterns do
not.
8Doppler Ultrasound
- Doppler US offers a unique noninvasive technology
for investigating the circulatory system. - Doppler US velocimetry has been extensively used
to investigate fetal, fetoplacental, and
uteroplacental circulations. - There is ample evidence associating abnormal
Doppler findings with complications of pregnancy
and an adverse perinatal outcome as in multiple
gestations, fetal anemia, fetal IUGR, and fetal
congenital heart diseases.
9The Body is an Electrical Organism
- Heartbeat
- Brainwaves
- Cell Division
10Health Effects from exposure to electromagnetic
fields
- Expanding use of cellular technology has led to
some speculations that electromagnetic
pollution is causing significant risks to human
health. - The amount of energy absorbed by the body is
called the Specific Absorption Rate expressed
in (W/Kg). - Biological effects that result from heating of
tissues by RF energy are referred to as thermal
effects. - However studies indicate that biological effects
may be caused without heating of tissues referred
to as non-thermal effect
11Health Effects from exposure to electromagnetic
fields cont.
- The thermal effect is the principle by which
microwave ovens cook food and very high RF energy
100mW/cm2 or more can result in heating of
biological tissues. - Tissue damage in humans could occur due to the
bodys inability to dissipate the excessive heat. - The eye and the testes are particularly
vulnerable due to relative lack of blood flow to
dissipate the excessive heat load. - Studies show that environmental levels of RF
energy are below levels necessary to produce a
thermal effect.
12Health Effects from exposure to electromagnetic
fields cont.
Membrane Effects
Blood-Brain Barrier
Signal Transduction Effects
Non-Thermal Effects
Cell proliferative Responses
Immune System Effect
Nervous System
Effect on Neurotransmitters
13Health Effects from exposure to electromagnetic
fields cont.
- Other health outcomes investigated after RF
exposure, include - Headaches
- General malaise
- Short term memory loss
- Nausea
- Sleep disturbances
- Numbness
14Intrauterine Effects in Animals Exposed to
Microwave Fields
- Most of the animal studies have used higher ELFs
than maximum permissible exposure levels
according to the IEEE. - The most common observation at high exposures was
a decrease in fetal mass. - Lower birthweights, slower growth rates,
exencephalies, and other skeletal abnormalities
were reported in mice. - Teratogenic effects were only observed in animals
exposed to levels of radiation causing a thermal
effect.
15Patients and Methods
- In this study, thirty pregnant women were
recruited from Kasr El Eini Maternity Hospital. - They were subdivided into 2 groups
- Group I comprised of 15 pregnant women . The
FHR was obtained for 5 minutes with no mobile
phones around. FHR was obtained and traced for
another 5 minutes while the patient was on
conversation mode. - Group II comprised of 15 pregnant women.
Doppler ultrasound of the umbilical artery was
performed and the Resistance Index was traced.
The patients were instructed to use the cellular
phone on conversation mode for 5 minutes, after
which doppler ultrasound of the umbilical artery
was performed and the Resistance index was
traced.
16Inclusion Criteria
- No medical disorders or complications of
pregnancy - Within age group 18 35 years of age
- 28-32 weeks gestation
- singleton fetus
- in cephalic presentation
17Questionnaire
- A questionnaire was designed and included the
following parameters - Personal history
- Medical history
- Average amount of time spent using cellular phone
- Symptoms reported from usage
- Written consent of approval of participation in
the research
18Results
- In comparison between FHR baseline before and
after exposure there was no statistical
significant difference.
19Results
- In comparison between FHR accelerations before
and after exposure there was no statistical
significant difference.
20Results
- In comparison between R/I of the umbilical
artery before and after exposure there was no
statistical significant difference.
21Discussion Is It Safe to use a mobile phone
during pregnancy?
- The short answer to this question is that mobile
phones are probably safe to use in pregnancy.
Research suggests that there is no risk to health
from mobile phones in the short term . - However, it is still a good idea to be cautious.
Mobile phones have only been in use for a
relatively short amount of time, so it's
impossible to be certain of their long-term
effects yet.
22Discussion Is It Safe to use a mobile phone
during pregnancy? Cont.
- Mobiles emit low levels of "non-ionizing"
electromagnetic radiation - as do televisions,
computers, microwave ovens and other man-made and
natural environmental sources that we're exposed
to every day. - Non-ionizing" radiation is much milder than the
"ionizing" radiation emitted by sources such as
x-rays, radiation therapy machines and CT scans,
which are known to be harmful to a developing
fetus. - The amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus might
be a proposed thermoregulatory barrier mechanism
against the thermal effect produced by cellular
phones.
23Summary and Conclusions
- Our study suggests that there are no risks to
fetal well being in the short term. - Although reassuring about the safety of the
technology in the short term, impossible to reach
conclusive evidence regarding long term
cumulative effects.
24Recommendations
- use your phone as little as possible, and only
when you have no alternative - send a text or use
a landline instead. - keep your calls short !
- try to avoid using your phone if the signal
strength is low . - hands-free kit can reduce the SAR for your head
while you're on the phone but may increase the
SAR for the rest of your body, something you
might want to avoid while you are pregnant.
25Recommendations cont.
- Finally, we recommend retrospective
randomized control trials using large number of
pregnant women to reach a conclusive evidence
regarding long term residual effects.
26- Thanks for your attention!