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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Reproductive Health

Lack of teratogenicity after combined exposure of pregnant mice to CDMA and WCDMA radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.

No Effects Found

Lee HJ, Lee JS, Pack JK, Choi HD, Kim N, Kim SH, Lee YS. · 2009

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Combined cell phone radiation exposure during pregnancy showed no birth defects in mice at levels near regulatory limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to cell phone signals (CDMA and WCDMA) at high levels throughout their entire pregnancy to test whether this radiation could cause birth defects. The study found no observable harmful effects on the developing fetuses, including no increased death rates, growth problems, or physical abnormalities. This suggests that exposure to these specific types of cell phone radiation during pregnancy may not cause obvious developmental problems in offspring.

Why This Matters

This study addresses one of parents' most pressing concerns about wireless technology: whether cell phone use during pregnancy could harm their developing baby. The researchers used SAR levels of 2.0 W/kg for each signal type, which is at the upper limit of what regulatory agencies consider safe for consumer devices. What makes this research particularly relevant is that it tested combined exposure to two different cell phone technologies simultaneously, more closely mimicking real-world conditions where we're exposed to multiple RF sources. However, the study only examined obvious physical birth defects and didn't look at more subtle developmental effects like behavioral changes or long-term health impacts that might not be apparent at birth. While these results are reassuring for expectant mothers, they represent just one piece of the larger puzzle regarding EMF exposure during pregnancy.

Exposure Details

SAR
2 W/kg
Exposure Duration
45-min

Exposure Context

This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 2 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 1 times the FCC limit

Study Details

we investigated the teratogenic effects of multi-signal radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMFs) on mouse fetuses.

Pregnant mice were simultaneously exposed to two types of RF signals, single code division multiple ...

From the results, we report for the first time that simultaneous experimental exposure to CDMA and W...

Cite This Study
Lee HJ, Lee JS, Pack JK, Choi HD, Kim N, Kim SH, Lee YS. (2009). Lack of teratogenicity after combined exposure of pregnant mice to CDMA and WCDMA radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Radiat Res. 172(5):648-652, 2009.
Show BibTeX
@article{hj_2009_lack_of_teratogenicity_after_3183,
  author = {Lee HJ and Lee JS and Pack JK and Choi HD and Kim N and Kim SH and Lee YS.},
  title = {Lack of teratogenicity after combined exposure of pregnant mice to CDMA and WCDMA radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.},
  year = {2009},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19883234/},
}
PubMed: 19883234

Cited By (45 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2009 study found no birth defects in mice exposed to high levels of CDMA and WCDMA cell phone radiation throughout pregnancy. The research showed no increased fetal death rates, growth problems, or physical abnormalities from this exposure.
Research on pregnant mice exposed to cell phone signals (CDMA and WCDMA) throughout pregnancy found no observable harm to developing fetuses. However, this represents one study on specific radiation types, and more research is needed.
A controlled study exposing pregnant mice to CDMA radiation found no adverse effects on fetal development. Researchers observed no increased death rates, growth issues, or physical abnormalities in offspring from mothers exposed to these signals.
One study testing high-level exposure to CDMA and WCDMA phone radiation in pregnant mice found no increased birth defect risks. The research showed no observable developmental problems or abnormalities in the exposed offspring.
Research exposing pregnant mice to wireless CDMA and WCDMA radiation throughout pregnancy found no impact on pregnancy outcomes. The study reported no adverse effects on fetal survival, growth, or normal development patterns.