Microwave Heating of the Uterine Wall During Parturition
Jose Daels, MD · 1973
1973 obstetric study of 1000 patients found microwave heating of the uterine wall relieved the pain of contractions and shortened dilation, with no harmful effects on the fetus.
Plain English Summary
This 1973 study by Jose Daels, MD, examined microwave heating of the uterine wall during parturition in 1000 patients without obstetric pathology, using the Radarmed 12 S 230 with a curved wide-field radiation electrode. Of the 1000 patients, 962 described the analgesic effect as good and 38 reported moderate attenuation. Compared with 1000 similar controls, the average duration of the dilation stage was significantly shortened, by 108 minutes for primiparas and 43 minutes for multiparas, with no undesirable side effects and nil perinatal mortality and morbidity.
Why This Matters
This 1973 study used microwave heating therapeutically: heat was applied to the abdomen during contractions to relieve labor pain. Treatment started as soon as the patient found labor pains troublesome and was applied intermittently, with the heat increased until the patient found the warmth agreeable, at doses of 80 to 100 mA.
The author reports that the heating attenuated the pain of uterine contractions, shortened the dilation period, and improved Apgar scores. Temperatures were checked in 100 of the patients, with maximums of 37.8°C for the neonate and 36.5°C in the amniotic fluid. The author attributes the shorter dilation period probably to improved blood circulation in the uterine wall.
Finding
Microwave heating of the uterine wall during parturition, at the moment of contraction, was found to have an analgesic effect. It could be demonstrated that in births treated in this manner parturition progressed more smoothly and the Apgar scores improved.
In their words
“Microwave heating of the uterine wall during parturition, at the moment of contraction, was found to have an analgesic effect. It could be demonstrated that in births treated in this manner parturition progressed more smoothly and the Apgar scores improved.”
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 30-40 minutes during contractions
Study Details
To investigate the analgesic effect of microwave heating of the uterine wall during parturition and its impact on labor progression.
Microwave heating of the uterine wall during parturition was carried out in a selected group of 1000...
Of the 1000 patients treated, 962 described the analgesic effect as good; the remaining 38 experienc...
Transcalency of the uterine wall by means of microwave heating attenuates the pain of uterine contractions, exerts a favorable influence on the progress of labor, and is free from harmful effects on the fetus. The stimulation of labor manifests itself as a shortening of the dilation period, probably due to improvement in blood circulation in the uterine wall brought about by the transcalency. The resulting improvement in the oxygenation of the fetus might explain the excellent Apgar scores observed.
Show BibTeX
@article{microwave_heating_of_the_uterine_wall_during_parturition_g4210,
author = {Jose Daels and MD},
title = {Microwave Heating of the Uterine Wall During Parturition},
year = {1973},
}