Re: help

["John Moulder" <jmoulder@post.its.mcw.edu>]

> If anyone knows about the possible effects of MRI on fetal mice, how 
> about giving Mr. Asgharzadeh a civil reply. 

I'm not aware of any specific studies of whether MRI has teratogenic 
potential.  If there is anything, some places to look are:

JF Schenck: Health and physiological effects of human exposure to whole-body 
four-Tesla magnetic fields during MRI. Ann N Y Acad Sci 649:285-301, 1992.
M Villa et al: Biological effects of magnetic fields. Life Sciences 49:85-92, 
1991.

RD Boutin et al: Injuries associated with MR imaging:  Survey of safety 
records and methods used to screen patients for metallic foreign bodies before 
imaging. Amer J Roent 162:189-194, 1994.

RL Magin, RP Liburdy & B Persson:  Biological effects and safety aspects of 
nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, New York Academy of 
Sciences, New York, NY, (1992). 

There are studies of the teratagenic potential of static field exposure, 
although the sources are a bit hard to get.
   MR Sikov et al: Development of mice after intrauterine exposure to direct-
current magnetic fields. In: Biological effects of ELF fields, DoE (U.S.), 
1978, pp 462-473
   G Konerman & H Monig:  Studies of the influence of static magnetic fields 
in prenatal development of mice.  Radiologie 26:490-497, 1986
   M Nakagawa:  Effects of magnetic fields on fertility, general reproductive 
performance and growth of mice.  Jap. J. Hygiene 34:488-495, 1979.

RF fields can cause intrauterine heating, and there is an extensive literature 
on heat as a teratogen.  Some sources on RF and teratogenicity (mostly a bit 
dated):
  ME O"Connor:  Proc IEEE 68:65, 1980
  JM Lary et al:  Bioelectromag 7:141, 1986
  RP Jensh, Radiat Res 97:282, 1984
  JH Merritt et al,  Bioelectromag 5:315, 1984


John Moulder (jmoulder@its.mcw.edu)