title: Impact of repetitive exposure to strong static magnetic fields on pregnancy and embryonic development of mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate possible risks of strong static magnetic fields for embryo implantation, gestation, organogenesis, and embryonic development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant mice were exposed for 75 minutes daily during the entire course of pregnancy at the bore entrance, representing the position of medical staff, and at the isocenter, representing the position of patients, of a 1.5 T and a 7 T human MRI scanner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No effect of static magnetic field strength was observed with regard to pregnancy rate, duration of pregnancy, litter size, still births, malformations, sex distribution, or postpartum death of offspring. During the first 8 weeks postnatal, mice exposed in utero to a magnetic field strength of 1.5 T or stronger showed a slight delay in weight gain and in time to eye opening compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Daily exposure to strong magnetic fields during pregnancy had no deleterious effect on offspring; however, a developmental retardation could be observed postnatally with regard to weight gain and eye opening.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaun
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maderwald
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orzada
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pütter
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scherag
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Winterhager
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ladd
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grümmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D001724:Birth Weight; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D060526:Magnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011897:Random Allocation
keywords: MRI; embryonic development; magnetic field; malformations; pregnancy