EH-91-2 Exposure to EMFs from Video Display Terminals and the Risk of Spontaneous Abortion
               OFFICE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY & HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
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                            HEALTH BULLETIN
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY                            WASHINGTON, D.C.
Issue 91-2                                                   May 1991
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         Exposure to EMGs from Video Display Terminals and the
                    Risk of Spontaneous Abortion


The New England Journal of Medicine (New England Journal of
Medicine 1991; 324, 727-33) recently published a study entitled
"Video Display Terminals and the Risk of Spontaneous Abortion,"
conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH).  Concern about the health effects of occupational
exposure to video display terminals (VDTs) was first raised in 1980
when adverse pregnancy outcomes were reported among working women
who used VDTs.  These women held jobs as computer attendants at a
telephone company, airline reservationists, and toll operators. 
Subsequent studies showed inconclusive results or found no effect. 
These studies raised concerns regarding exposure to electromagnetic
fields (EMFs) produced from the VDTs.

EMFs are created by the flow of electrical charges in an
alternating current and are generated by anything powered by
electricity.  Hair dryers, kitchen appliances, and electric
blankets are examples of everyday sources of EMFs.  In the earlier
studies, EMF exposure was determined by interviewing study subjects
or by examining data on job titles, rather then by measuring EMFs
produced by the VDTs.  The NIOSH study is the first study to
actually measure the level of EMFs produced by the VDTs.

The NIOSH study compared female directory assistance operators with
general telephone operators at two telephone companies in the
Southeastern States.  The two groups of women were very similar
with regard to age, race, education, number of pregnancies, and
number of years employed by the telephone companies; however, only
the directory assistance operators used VDTs in their jobs.  Among
2,430 women who were interviewed, 730 had one or more pregnancies
that were included in the study.

The rate of live births, miscarriages, and stillbirths did not
differ between the directory assistance and general operators.  The
overall rates of miscarriage were 14.8 percent among VDT users and
15.9 percent among those that did not use VDTs.  These percentages
are well within the range reported as normal in the medical
literature (11 to 20 percent).  The rates of miscarriage did not
increase with the number of hours of exposure to VDTs.  NIOSH found
that levels of EMF exposure due to VDTs did not differ from the
levels of EMF exposure the directory assistance operators were
exposed to at home.

      This Health Bulletin is one in a series of routine publications
      issued by the Office of Health to share data from health studies
      throughout the DOE complex.  This study was not funded by DOE and
      the authors conclusions do not necessarily reflect those of the
      Department.  For more information contact:  Dr. Terry L. Thomas,
      Director, Health Coordination and Communication Division, Office of
      Epidemiology and Health Surveillance, U.S. Department of Energy,
      Washington, D.C.  20585; Telephone FTS 233-5328, Commercial (301)
      353-5328.
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