Magnetic field exposure from electric appliances and childhood cancer
- Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (USA)
The effect on childhood cancer of prolonged exposure to 60-H magnetic fields from electric appliances was examined using interview data from a recently completed case-control study. Exposures of children aged 0-14 years whose incident cancers were diagnosed between 1976 and 1983 and who resided in the Denver, Colorado, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area were compared with those of controls selected by random digit dialing, matched on age, sex, and telephone exchange area. Parents of 252 cases and 222 controls were interviewed at home about the use of electric appliances by the mother during pregnancy (prenatal exposure) and by the child (postnatal exposure). After adjustment for income, prenatal electric blanket exposure was associated with a small increase in the incidence of childhood cancers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-2.2) that was more pronounced for leukemia (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 0.8-3.6) and brain cancer (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.5). Postnatal exposure to electric blankets was also weakly associated with childhood cancer (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 0.6-3.4), with a larger but imprecise association with acute lymphocytic leukemia (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 0.6-6.5). Water beds and bedside electric clocks were unrelated to childhood cancer incidence. Results are limited by nonresponse and imprecision resulting from the rarity of appliance use, especially for subgroups of cases. Nonetheless, electric blankets, one of the principal sources of prolonged magnetic field exposure, were weakly associated with childhood cancer and warrant a more thorough evaluation.
- OSTI ID:
- 6831514
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Epidemiology; (USA), Vol. 131:5; ISSN 0002-9262
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
CARCINOGENESIS
LEUKEMIA
EPIDEMIOLOGY
NEOPLASMS
ADOLESCENTS
CHILDREN
COLORADO
DISEASE INCIDENCE
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
INFANTS
MAN
PREGNANCY
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
RISK ASSESSMENT
AGE GROUPS
ANIMALS
APPLIANCES
DISEASES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HEMIC DISEASES
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
MAMMALS
NORTH AMERICA
PATHOGENESIS
PRIMATES
USA
VERTEBRATES
560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects