Abstract

Overview

The study investigates the relationship between maternal cumulative exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF) and the incidence of moderate prematurity and babies being small for gestational age within the Elfe cohort in France.

Methods

• Investigated 18,329 infants born at or beyond 33 weeks of gestation in 2011.
• Subjects monitored up until 20 years of age.
• Information on gestational age and baby measurements at birth taken from medical records.
• Maternal employment during pregnancy was documented and analyzed using an updated job exposure matrix (JEM) to classify ELF EMF exposure.
• Statistical analysis performed with logistic regression, adjusted for lifestyle, sociodemographic factors, and medical history.

Findings

Detailed exposure data was available for 96.0% of the mothers, with the majority falling into moderate exposure categories. Higher levels of exposure were relatively rare.

Conclusions

Despite the comprehensive framework and detailed analysis, the study found no significant connection between maternal ELF EMF exposure and risks associated with moderate prematurity or being small for gestational age. This suggests that ELF EMF exposure within these ranges during pregnancy might not pose significant health risks to these particular outcomes.