High levels of exposure to magnetic fields – such as those generated by power lines or cell phone towers – while still in the womb could put children at an increased risk of developing asthma, according to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Researchers worked with 626 expectant mothers. Over a 24-hour period, the women – while still in their first or second trimester – carried a meter capable of measuring magnetic fields. The researchers then followed the children from birth up to 13 years of age to see if they would develop asthma.
Overall, 20.8 percent of the children were diagnosed with the disorder, but the rate was significantly increased among the children whose mothers had been exposed to the highest levels of magnetic fields.
"Because electromagnetic field exposure is ubiquitous and exposure to it is involuntary, these new findings have important public health implications," wrote the study authors, noting that further studies will be needed to confirm the results.