Una
recente metanalisi (21 studi caso/controllo ed 1 di coorte) riporta come
l'esposizione prenatale per lavoratrici esposte a basse frequenze (elettrodotti,
cabine di trasformazione, macchinari elettrici, ecc…) possa essere la causa di
un aumento statisticamente significativo di tumori del sistema nervoso centrale
nell'età infantile.
Si
ricorda che nel 2002 lo IARC classificò le "basse frequenze” come
possibili cancerogeni per l'uomo, 2B.
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Association between parental occupational
exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and childhood nervous
system tumors risk: A meta-analysis.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:
Previous epidemiological studies suggested association between parental
occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and
risk of childhood nervous system tumors, but the results were inconsistent. We
conducted a meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies to re-evaluate
this association.
METHODS:
Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science
databases as well as by manual searching. Summary odds ratio (OR) with 95%
confidence interval (CI) were pooled with a fixed-effects or random-effects
model.
RESULTS:
A total of 22 eligible articles (21 case-control studies and 1 cohort
study) were included for the quantitative analysis. The results showed that
parental occupational ELF-MF exposure was significantly associated with an
increased risk of childhood nervous system tumors (OR = 1.11, 95%
CI = 1.02-1.21), and this association remained in studies on central nervous
system (CNS) tumors (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.02-1.27) but not neuroblastoma
(OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.92-1.14). Furthermore, maternal (OR = 1.14, 95%
CI = 1.05-1.23) but not paternal (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.98-1.13) occupational
ELF-MF exposure significantly increased risk of childhood nervous system
tumors. Increased risk of childhood CNS tumors was significant associated with
maternal (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.06-1.26) but not paternal (OR = 1.15, 95%
CI = 0.98-1.34) occupational ELF-MF exposure.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, our results provide limited evidence for the association
between maternal occupational exposure to ELF-MF and increased risk of
childhood CNS tumors, which should be explained with cautions. Future studies
are needed to further evaluate the association of paternal occupational ELF-MF
exposure with risk of childhood CNS tumors.
