{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6603","number":"6603","name":"Alex Andreasen","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-28T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-21T04:00Z","body":"https://bioinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/sec19_2012_Fetal_neonatal_effects_EMF.pdf\n\nPregnant women with laptops close to their belly receive more EMF for the child than safety limits allow. But less so if the laptop is on a table.\n\n\"Induced electric currents were estimated for both the pregnant woman and the fetus.\nStatistical values of the averaged current density were evaluated for body tissues including the body\nof the fetus, and the grey and white matter of the brain of the mother; the mother’s cerebellum, the\nmother’s cerebrospinal fluid and mother’s muscle tissue. In each case, the larger exposure was\ngenerated by the power supply rather than the laptop operation. Levels of induced current\nsubstantially exceeded ICNIRP public safety limits, assuming close proximity of the laptop to the\nbelly of the pregnant woman (for the fetus, between 182% and 263.7% of the ICNIRP standard);\nand for the woman (between 346.7% and 483.5% of the ICNIRP standard).\nSimple measures to distance the laptop during use (placing it on a table or desk and not on\nthe body of the user) will result in significant reduction of ELF-EMF exposure and induced electric\ncurrent in both mother and fetus...\"\n\nOn how to reduce extremely low  frequency EMF exposure in incubators.\n\n\"To allow what is an \nessential medical intervention for the growing premature baby, or the sick infant who needs \nexceptional care following birth, at least two possible solutions to reduce ELF-EMF levels are:\n Designing incubators with the motor far from the baby (some incubators already have \nadopted this measure) and\n Using ELF-EMF absorbing panels to shield the baby’s body from emissions (like Mu \nmetal).\"\n\n...\n\nNurses get EMF near incubators. High EMF influences baby heart rate variability.\n\n\"Another paper showed that \nnurses are also exposed to high EMF while working near incubators [ Bellieni, 2002]. \nBellieni et al [2008] reported that the exposure to high electromagnetic fields can interfere with \nthe sympathetic nervous system in altering babies’ heart rate variability. Heart rate variability \n(HRV) of 43 newborns in incubators was studied. HRV is an index of Autonomous Nervous \nSystem activity. The study group comprised 27 newborns whose HRV was studied throughout three \n5-minute periods: 1) with incubator motor on, 2) with incubator off, and 3) with incubator on again, \nrespectively. Mean HRV values obtained during each period were compared. The control group \ncomprised 16 newborns but exposed to no source of ELF-EMF; they were exposed to changes in \nbackground noise similar to those provoked by the incubator motor (to reproduce the conditions of \nthe first cohort). Mean total power and the high-frequency (HF) component of HRV increased \nsignificantly and the mean low-frequency (LF)/HF ratio decreased significantly when the incubator \nmotor was turned off. Basal values were restored when incubators were turned on again. Changes in \nbackground noise did not provoke any significant change in HRV. We therefore concluded that \nELF-EMFs produced by incubators influence newborns' HRV, showing an influence on their 8\nautonomous nervous system. More research is needed to assess possible long-term consequences, \nsince premature newborns may be exposed to these high ELF-EMFs for months.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Existing FCC and ICNIRP public safety limits seem to be not sufficiently protective of public \nhealth, in particular for the young (embryo, fetus, neonate, very young child).\nThe World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified both \nELF-EMF and RF EMF (wireless radiofrequency) as Possible Human Carcinogens (Group 2B).\nNew, biologically-based public exposure standards are critically needed.\nCommon sense measures to limit both ELF-EMF and RF EMF in these populations is needed, \nespecially with respect to avoidable exposures like incubators that can be modified; and where \neducation of the pregnant mother with respect to laptop computers, mobile phones and other \nsources of ELF-EMF and RF EMF are easily instituted.\nIt is not in the public interest to wait: A precautionary approach may provide the frame for decision \nmaking where remediation actions have to be realized to prevent high exposures of children and \npregnant woman.\"\n\n","attachments":[],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6603","tags":["cancer-tumors","child-development","policy-standards","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"d42878de41b2a587bbf08de706541e681ecd72edfca4718bb9309a006294227a","slug":"cancer-tumors-comment-6603","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6603","body_sha256":"a93d55f2617a1c8d169a3718ed72b33f6b29e577920db3b8bea47ea5d75f710c","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"children","topics":[{"id":"children","evidence":"young (embryo, fetus, neonate, very young child)"},{"id":"reproductive","evidence":"Pregnant women with laptops close to their belly"},{"id":"cardiac","evidence":"High EMF influences baby heart rate variability."},{"id":"standards","evidence":"New, biologically-based public exposure standards are critically needed."}],"summary":"Quotes a review concerning laptop and incubator fields, fetal exposure and newborn heart-rate variability, and advocates exposure reduction and biologically based standards for pregnancy and early childhood.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-28T23:54:32Z","review_method":"Full comment-text review with exact source evidence; attachments not reviewed","review_source_sha256":"1286cbb9c9d1c2100b49100bc8efd68aca207c01c0d2155df15144b14ae7a92c","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["children","reproductive","cardiac","standards"],"primary_topic":"children","forum_title":"Quotes a review concerning laptop and incubator fields, fetal exposure and newborn heart-rate variability…"}