A Prospective Study of In-utero Exposure
to Magnetic Fields and the Risk of
Childhood Obesity
We conducted a prospective study to examine whether in-utero exposure to magnetic fields (MFs) increases
the risk of childhood obesity. Participating women carried a meter measuring MF levels during pregnancy
and 733 of their children were followed up to 13 years to collect clinically recorded information on growth
patterns with 33 weight measurements per child on average. Prenatal exposure to high MF level was
associated with increased risk of being obese in offspring than those with lower MF level (odds ratio51.69,
95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.84). The association demonstrated a dose-response relationship and was
stronger (more than 2.3 fold increased risk) among children who were followed up to the end of the study.
The association existed only for persistent obesity, but not for transitory (unlikely) obesity. Maternal
exposure to high MF during pregnancy may be a new and previously unknown factor contributing to the
world-wide epidemic of childhood obesity/overweight.
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