Abstract
Introduction: Mobile phones have become a part and parcel of our every day's life. As they operate by creating an electromagnetic field therefore, there are concerns for their safety while using in pregnancy.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to study the differences in Foetal Heart Rate (FHR) pattern between women without mobile phone and then after using mobile phone.
Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted as an interventional study at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. First the women underwent Cardiotocography (CTG) without mobile phone (controls) and then exposed to mobile phone in calling mode (served as cases) for 10 minutes. The variables measured for CTG were base line FHR, beat to beat variability, accelerations and decelerations. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to evaluate the research question.
Results: Participants with mobile phones had significantly lower acceleration scores (M=1.330, SD=0.560) as compared to those without a mobile phone (M=1.590, SD=0.551). Additionally, participants with mobile phones had significantly lower variability scores (M=2.522, SD=0.503) as compared to those without a mobile phone (M=2.725, SD=0.450).
Conclusion: Use of mobile phone affects the FHR tracing CTG.