[Low-frequency electrical and magnetic fields near the beds of children with leukemia]

This pilot study points to the importance of the electric field in studies of the association between measured extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and childhood leukaemia, and of the probe position in collecting useful data. It finds a significantly elevated extremely low frequency electric field (16.04 V/m) in the bedplace of cases of childhood leukaemia compared with healthy controls (7.76 V/m). Mean measured magnetic fields were not significantly elevated in the bedplace (74 nT, rms, against 57 nT in control' bedplaces). The study sample was large enough to detect a 5 V/m difference, but a larger study, paying particular attention to the position of the measuring instrument in the exact place where the child sleeps, is needed to confirm these results.