The Effects of Prenatal Exposure to a 900 Megahertz Electromagnetic Field on Hippocampus Morphology and Learning Behavior in Rat Pups.
İkinci A, Odacı E, Yıldırım M, Kaya H, Akça M, Hancı H, Aslan A, Sönmez OF, Baş O. · 2013
View Original AbstractPrenatal cell phone frequency exposure caused lasting brain damage and learning problems in rat offspring, suggesting pregnancy EMF exposure risks.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to 900 MHz electromagnetic fields (the same frequency used by many cell phones) for one hour daily during late pregnancy. The female offspring showed significant learning and memory problems in maze tests, plus visible damage to the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for learning and memory. This suggests that EMF exposure during pregnancy may harm developing brains in ways that persist after birth.
Why This Matters
This study adds to mounting evidence that prenatal EMF exposure can cause lasting neurological damage. The 900 MHz frequency used here is identical to what many cell phones emit, making these findings directly relevant to pregnant women who carry phones or live near cell towers. What makes this research particularly concerning is that the brain damage wasn't temporary - it persisted weeks after birth and translated into measurable learning deficits. The developing brain is especially vulnerable to EMF radiation because it's rapidly forming new neural connections. While we can't directly extrapolate from rat studies to humans, the biological mechanisms are similar enough to warrant serious precaution. The reality is that pregnant women today face unprecedented EMF exposure levels, yet most receive no guidance about potential risks to their developing babies.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz Duration: 1 hour a day
Study Details
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on hippocampus morphology and learning behavior in rat pups following prenatal exposure to a 900 megahertz (MHz) electromagnetic field (EMF).
Female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 180-250 g were left to mate with males. The following day, pregn...
Our results show that the application of a 900 MHz EMF in the prenatal period adversely affected fem...
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2013_the_effects_of_prenatal_2221,
author = {İkinci A and Odacı E and Yıldırım M and Kaya H and Akça M and Hancı H and Aslan A and Sönmez OF and Baş O.},
title = {The Effects of Prenatal Exposure to a 900 Megahertz Electromagnetic Field on Hippocampus Morphology and Learning Behavior in Rat Pups.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264913464_The_Effects_of_Prenatal_Exposure_to_a_900_Megahertz_Electromagnetic_Field_on_Hippocampus_Morphology_and_Learning_Behavior_in_Rat_Pups},
}