Effect of cellular phone use on fetal monitoring and umbilical artery Doppler

Background: Cell phones have become an integral part of our daily lives. Several studies have shown that non-thermal electromagnetic radiation, such as that generated by mobile phones, may have a physical effect on target cells or tissues, including the embryo. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of mobile phone use on FHR trace and umbilical artery Doppler as an indicators for fetal surveillance. Patients and methods: This study was conducted in Alzahraa university hospital from May 2019 to December 2019, one hundred seventy five low risk pregnant women, 32-40 weeks in gestation. First all participants were instructed not to use their mobile phone for 24 hours prior to the initial CTG trace and Doppler ultrasound. They were then assessed twice for both the CTG non-stress test and umbiliical artery Doppler. First measure was performed for the subjects prior to use their cellular phone, and the second measure was repeated 5 min after hanging up their mobile phones which lasting in dialing modes for 10 min. The recorded fetal heart rate (FHR) strips and umbilical artery Doppler findings, before and after mobile phone use collected and statistically analyzed. With concerns and comments on CTG parameters in terms of, baseline fetal FHR, acceleration, deceleration and beat to beat variability with using score for each of them. Results: There was insignificant decrease in mean score of basal FHR in women after mobile phone, 3.13±0.76 compared to before mobile phone use, 3.25±0.63, with p,>0.05..Howover, there was statistically significant decrease in mean acceleration and variability score in women after mobile phone, versus before mobile use, 1.37±0.51versus 1.64±0.61, p value <0.001and 2.30±0.66 compared to 2.51±0.54, p-value<0.05) respectively. There was no deceleration found in both occasions. Regarding umbilical artery blood flow findings, there was no statistically significant difference of PI in women after and before mobile phone use, p-value (>0.05).While there was statistically significant increase mean of RI and S/D ratio in women after mobile phone, (0.57±0.08 and 2.39±0.28 respectively) compared to those before mobile phone use, (0.55±0.14 and 2.29±0.53 respectively) with p-value (<0.05). Conclusion: Evident from the current study, we concluded that the electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile phone influence the FHR patterns and fetal perfusion.