Last Updated on February 20, 2020If you are using a laptop or tablet, chances are you have it on or very close to your lap.
It seems like all of us are using our devices the same way and for extended periods of time.
However, research is suggesting that there may be some health risks associated with their use.
Laptop computer Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), also known as Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR), are harmful to users and a particular health risk to pregnant women and their unborn fetuses.
Electromagnetic Field (EMFs)
An Electromagnetic Field (EMF) is a low level of energy, or radiation, that comes from all of our electronic devices. Laptops and other devices generate Electromagnetic Radiation, also known as a magnetic flux, that induce currents in the body.
Even before the use of laptops, tablets and smart phones, we were immersed in EMFs. EMFs have been all around us since the beginning of time, with man-made EMFs existing for over one hundred years, but often at a relatively safe distance away.
In the last decade or two, there has been significant increased use of personal electronic devices like laptops and tablets which emit EMFs very close to our bodies, often for many hours at a time.
Studies are are beginning to identify the possible health risks of laptop and tablet EMFs, especially for pregnant women as shown in a 2012 publication, “Exposure to electromagnetic fields from laptop use of “laptop” computers”.
This study investigates if there are health concerns when exposed to these fields, with particular emphasis on women and their fetus. Five laptop computers from different manufacturers were studied in a laboratory to determine radiation emissions. Measurements were taken to find the field density, a measurement of power and strength.
The higher the density, the more likely currents are created in the body. The researchers correlated their findings into a large database of average pregnant woman developed by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Ciba University.
This merge of data enabled the study to acutely determine, with statistical significance, how patterns of exposure impact the health of pregnant women and their fetus.
The study concluded that a mother and fetus are exposed to higher amounts of EMFs by laptops than those found in close proximity of high-voltage power lines or video screens. Swedish EMF standards were exceeded by 71–483% which, by the standard’s definition, increases risk for tumor development.
They also said that laptops are contacting the body in a very delicate area close to skin, bones, blood, genitals, and, in pregnant women, close to the fetus. These laptops have electrical circuits and power supplies that produce EMFs causing detectable impairment to the health of the exposed individual or his or her offspring.
The authors reviewed study data from many sources and concluded that the effects of EMFs in some studies failed to link low-intensity radiation and tumors while others reports found clear adverse effects impacting heart rate, sleep, and other health concerns. In part, they observe, that the studies that found no links, were never intended to find links.
The researchers state: “Users should be aware about such risks: recommendations for safe use of laptop should avoid close contact between laptop, power supply and user, particularly during pregnancy.“
Over one hundred physicians, scientists and public health professionals have joined together under The BabySafe Wireless Project to voice their concern regarding the risk of exposure to wireless radiation during pregnancy and to urge pregnant women to limit their exposure.
EMF radiation exposure during pregnancy has been linked to the child developing asthma and increasing their risk of obesity, a 3 times higher risk of miscarriage, decrease in births, accelerated sexual maturity at a lower quality, and female eggs showing premenopausal similarities upon entering puberty.
In a press release from the Karolinska Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden, “Scientists Urge Halt of Wireless Rollout and Call for New Safety Standards: Warning Issued on Risks to Children and Pregnant Women,” scientists with wireless technology frequency radiation expertise caution women. They warn of growing evidence that wireless radiation exposures may be harming to the development of children at levels now commonly found in the environment. They also caution pregnant women to avoid using wireless devices themselves and distance themselves from other users.
In 2012, Myung Chan Gye and his colleagues from the Department of Life Science and Institute for Natural Sciences, published “Effect of electromagnetic field exposure on the reproductive system.” They found that the effect of EMF exposure on the reproductive function differ according to frequency and wave, strength (energy), and duration of exposure. They evaluated ‘in vitro’ and ‘in vivo’ studies, and found that EMF exposure was found to alter the reproductive endocrine hormones, gonadal function, embryonic development, pregnancy, and fetal development.
They concluded that in modern society, although humans cannot avoid various kinds of EMFs, they should be aware of the biological hazards they can present. It is recommend that people should make an effort to avoid EMF exposure and use techniques to protect or relieve EMF radiation required to preserve reproductive potential.
Watch Video: Pregnant? Why You Need to Protect Yourself from EMF Radiation
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that devices like laptops should be re-engineered to lower emissions and suggest that laptops are a source of increased EMF exposure and users should be aware of increased health risks, particularly during pregnancy.
The authors of the study recommend reducing exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation and agree with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations that devices, like laptops should be re-engineered to lower emissions. They go on to say that laptops are a source of increased EMF exposure and that users should be aware of increased health risks, particularly during pregnancy.
Women might consider using an EMF Radiation Blocking Baby Blanket to minimize their exposure Electromagnetic Radiation while pregnant.