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Prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phone use and behavioral problems in children.

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Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J. · 2008

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Children exposed to cell phones both prenatally and postnatally showed 80% higher odds of behavioral problems by age 7.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Danish researchers followed over 13,000 children from pregnancy through age 7 to study whether mothers' cell phone use during pregnancy and children's own phone use affected behavior. They found that children exposed to cell phones both before birth and after had 80% higher odds of behavioral problems like hyperactivity and emotional difficulties. While the researchers noted other factors could explain this connection, the findings raise concerns given how widely cell phones are used.

Why This Matters

This landmark Danish study represents one of the largest investigations into prenatal EMF exposure and child development, with findings that deserve serious attention from parents and policymakers. The 80% increase in behavioral problems among children with both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure is substantial, particularly when you consider that typical cell phone use during pregnancy involves carrying phones close to the developing fetus for hours daily. While the researchers appropriately acknowledge that unmeasured confounding factors could explain these associations, the biological plausibility is supported by growing evidence that EMF exposure can affect neurodevelopment. What makes this study particularly compelling is its prospective design and large sample size, following children from conception through school age. The reality is that pregnant women today carry smartphones constantly, often keeping them in pockets or purses against their bodies, creating chronic low-level exposure to the developing brain during critical windows of development.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

We examined the association between prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phones and behavioral problems in young children.

Mothers were recruited to the Danish National Birth Cohort early in pregnancy. When the children of ...

Mothers of 13,159 children completed the follow-up questionnaire reporting their use of cell phones ...

Exposure to cell phones prenatally-and, to a lesser degree, postnatally-was associated with behavioral difficulties such as emotional and hyperactivity problems around the age of school entry. These associations may be noncausal and may be due to unmeasured confounding. If real, they would be of public health concern given the widespread use of this technology.

Cite This Study
Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J. (2008). Prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phone use and behavioral problems in children. Epidemiology.19(4):523-529, 2008.
Show BibTeX
@article{ha_2008_prenatal_and_postnatal_exposure_2038,
  author = {Divan HA and Kheifets L and Obel C and Olsen J.},
  title = {Prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phone use and behavioral problems in children.},
  year = {2008},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18467962/},
}
PubMed: 18467962

Cited By (191 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Danish researchers found children exposed to cell phones both before birth and after had 80% higher odds of behavioral problems like hyperactivity and emotional difficulties. This 2008 study followed over 13,000 children through age 7, though researchers noted other factors could explain the connection.
Children with both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure showed hyperactivity and emotional difficulties around school entry age. The Danish study found these children had significantly higher behavioral problem scores compared to unexposed children, with effects persisting through age 7.
Children exposed to cell phones both before and after birth had 1.80 times higher odds of behavioral problems, representing an 80% increase in risk. This finding came from a large Danish study tracking over 13,000 children from pregnancy through age 7.
Yes, children's postnatal cell phone use contributed to behavioral difficulties, though prenatal exposure showed stronger effects. The Danish researchers found that combined prenatal and postnatal exposure created the highest risk for hyperactivity and emotional problems around school age.
No, the researchers noted these associations may not be causal and could result from unmeasured confounding factors. However, they emphasized the findings would be of public health concern if real, given widespread cell phone use among pregnant women and children.