Systematic Literature Review of Adverse Reproductive Outcomes Associated with Physiotherapists' Occupational Exposures to Non-ionising Radiation

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This is a systematic review of eight epidemiological studies investigating the association between physiotherapists’ occupational exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields from shortwave and microwave diathermy devices and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The reproductive outcomes analysed included: spontaneous abortion, delayed time to pregnancy of more than 6 months, altered gender ratio, low birth weight, still birth and congenital malformations in the physiotherapists’ offspring. The authors identified that the lack of data on the intensity and duration of RF exposure and the distances to diathermy devices, to be the major flaw in most of the reviewed studies. The authors concluded that the findings of the reviewed studies for adverse reproductive outcomes are not consistent enough to draw a causal relationship with RF exposure from diathermy devices and that further research is warranted.

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