The other day, I heard a report on CNN recommending that pregnant women limit the use of cell phones. I was in the middle of the morning rush, so I didn’t catch it all and decided to do some research later. The recommendation is based on a study in the US and Denmark on cell phone use and pregnancy.
The study was conducted at UCLA in California and at Aarhus in Denmark. This was a large study, looking at nearly 14,000 mothers of children born in the 1990s. The mothers were questioned about their use of cell phones during pregnancy. They also looked at the kids’ behavior at the age of seven.
What they found was the children of cell phone using mothers were more likely to display behavioral problems at seven years of age. The cell phone using group was 54 percent more likely to have a child with behavioral problems. These kids were 25 percent more likely to have emotional problems, 34 percent more likely to have trouble making friends with peers, and 35 percent more likely to be hyperactive.
The problem continues after the child is born. The study also looked at the children’s use of cell phones at a young age. The kids using cell phones were 80% more likely to display behavioral problems than children not exposed to cell phones, either in utero or as young children.
The researchers attempted to attribute the results to other causes, such as smoking, the family mental health history and poverty, but they found no correlation with these factors and the study results.
One thing that struck me as I researched this subject was a statement made by one of the researchers reported in the Independent. Prior to this study, one of the researchers, Professor Leeka Kheifets, did not believe cell phones posed any health risks.
Other emerging research is confirming these results, so far. A Russian study concluded that pregnant women using cell phones are more at risk for memory problems, learning problems, irritability and depression.
Further research is needed in this area. One of the recommendations in limiting cell phone use is to use a headset or speaker phone. However, no research has been done to determine if these devices actually make cell phones safer. Most research conducted until this point has been done by the cell phone companies, which makes the results suspect to many people.
Studies are currently being conducted to either support or refute these results. In the meantime, it certainly seems prudent to limit the use of cell phones, both during pregnancy and for young children.
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