Effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic radiation on pregnancy outcome: A meta-analysis

2022 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 410

The meta-analysis found no significant increase in risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects, or preterm delivery among pregnant women living near electromagnetic fields compared with controls. Effects on small gestational age and low birth weight were d…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2022

Study typemeta_analysis

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic radiation on pregnancy outcome: A meta-analysis Zhou F, Ma C, Li Y, Zhang M, Liu W. The Effect of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation on Pregnancy Outcome: A Meta-Analysis. Ann Clin Case Rep. 2022; 7: 2326. Abstract Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic radiation (ELF-EMF) are generated by electrical devices and power systems (1 to 300 Hz). Although several studies have demonstrated that ELF-EMF may be associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, other studies have shown no evidence of associations. This meta- analysis was conducted to assess the effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic radiation on pregnancy outcomes. The following electronic bibliographic databases were searched to identify relevant studies: PubMed, Web Of Science, Cochrane library, Embase, EBSCO. In addition, the manual retrieval of relevant references was conducted as a supplement. Select all eligible studies published from Database construction library to March 10, 2021. Search type for queue research on influence of electromagnetic field radiation on pregnancy results. Data were screened and extracted independently by two researchers. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis. There was no significant increase in the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects and preterm delivery in the pregnant women who lived near the electromagnetic fields compared with the control group. Conclusions: No correlation has been found between maternal ELF-EMF exposure and miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal birth defects and preterm delivery, while the effects on small gestational age and low birth weight are still uncertain. Related research with high-quality large samples and different regions are still needed for further verification. Open access paper: anncaserep.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typemeta_analysis

Effect directionmixed

PopulationPregnant women (residential exposure context)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF · up to March 10, 2021 (study inclusion window; individual exposure duration not stated)

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

miscarriage
stillbirth
birth defects
preterm delivery
small for gestational age
low birth weight

Limitations

Individual study sample sizes and total pooled sample size not reported in abstract
Exposure characterization/metrics not described beyond living near electromagnetic fields
Uncertainty remains for small gestational age and low birth weight outcomes

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "meta_analysis",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "residential (lived near electromagnetic fields)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "up to March 10, 2021 (study inclusion window; individual exposure duration not stated)"
  },
  "population": "Pregnant women (residential exposure context)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "miscarriage",
    "stillbirth",
    "birth defects",
    "preterm delivery",
    "small for gestational age",
    "low birth weight"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The meta-analysis found no significant increase in risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects, or preterm delivery among pregnant women living near electromagnetic fields compared with controls. Effects on small gestational age and low birth weight were described as uncertain.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Individual study sample sizes and total pooled sample size not reported in abstract",
    "Exposure characterization/metrics not described beyond living near electromagnetic fields",
    "Uncertainty remains for small gestational age and low birth weight outcomes"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "extremely low-frequency",
    "ELF-EMF",
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "pregnancy outcome",
    "miscarriage",
    "stillbirth",
    "birth defects",
    "preterm delivery",
    "small for gestational age",
    "low birth weight",
    "meta-analysis"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.15,
      "reason": "Mentions ELF-EMF generated by electrical devices and power systems, but the analyzed exposure context is primarily residential; hub match is weak."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: Not supplied
PubMed: Not supplied

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