Maternal exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: Association with time to pregnancy and foetal growth.

Background: Data on reproductive and developmental effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF MFs) are inconclusive. This study tested the hypothesis that maternal exposure to ELF MFs is associated with increased time to pregnancy (TTP), reduced birthweight or small for gestational age (SGA).

Methods: The study cohort consisted of 373 mothers who gave birth between 1990 and 1994 in Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.

First trimester biochemistry at different maternal ages.

Background: The performance of first trimester biochemical screening was compared at different pregnancy weeks and maternal ages during 2002-2008 in a screened population of 76,949 women.

Methods: The detection rates, as well as the median multiples of a median (MOMs) of free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (free β-hCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), were compared between completed gestational weeks 8-13 and between different maternal ages separated into 5-year groupings.

Results: The number of singleton Down syndrome pregnancies was 221.