3,138 Studies Reviewed. 77.4% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.

The influence of microwave radiation from cellular phone on fetal rat brain.

Bioeffects Seen

Jing J, Yuhua Z, Xiao-qian Y, Rongping J, Dong-mei G, Xi C. · 2012

View Original Abstract
Share:

Prenatal cell phone radiation exposure caused brain damage and altered neurotransmitter levels in rat offspring, with effects worsening with longer exposure times.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to cell phone radiation for different durations (10, 30, or 60 minutes, three times daily) throughout their pregnancies and then examined the brain chemistry of their offspring. They found that longer exposures caused significant oxidative stress (cellular damage from free radicals) and altered neurotransmitter levels in the fetal brains. The study suggests that prenatal cell phone radiation exposure may harm developing brain tissue.

Why This Matters

This study adds to growing evidence that EMF exposure during pregnancy may affect fetal brain development. The researchers found dose-dependent effects - meaning longer exposures caused more pronounced changes in brain chemistry. What's particularly concerning is that these effects occurred in the developing brain, which is far more vulnerable to environmental stressors than adult tissue. The oxidative stress markers (increased MDA, decreased SOD and GSH-Px) indicate cellular damage, while the neurotransmitter changes suggest potential impacts on brain function. While we can't directly extrapolate animal studies to humans, this research reinforces the precautionary principle for pregnant women regarding cell phone use. The reality is that pregnant women today carry phones constantly, often keeping them close to their bodies where developing fetuses receive direct exposure.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 10 min , 30 min, and 60 minutes

Study Details

The aim of our study was to evaluate the intensity of oxidative stress and the level of neurotransmitters in the brains of fetal rats chronically exposed to cellular phones.

The experiment was performed on pregnant rats exposed to different intensities of microwave radiatio...

Compared with CG, there were significant differences (P<0.05) found in the contents of SOD, GSH-Px, ...

Through this study, we concluded that receiving a certain period of microwave radiation from cellular phones during pregnancy has certain harm on fetal rat brains.

Cite This Study
Jing J, Yuhua Z, Xiao-qian Y, Rongping J, Dong-mei G, Xi C. (2012). The influence of microwave radiation from cellular phone on fetal rat brain. Electromagn Biol Med. 31(1):57-66, 2012.
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2012_the_influence_of_microwave_2240,
  author = {Jing J and Yuhua Z and Xiao-qian Y and Rongping J and Dong-mei G and Xi C.},
  title = {The influence of microwave radiation from cellular phone on fetal rat brain.},
  year = {2012},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22268709/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to cell phone radiation for different durations (10, 30, or 60 minutes, three times daily) throughout their pregnancies and then examined the brain chemistry of their offspring. They found that longer exposures caused significant oxidative stress (cellular damage from free radicals) and altered neurotransmitter levels in the fetal brains. The study suggests that prenatal cell phone radiation exposure may harm developing brain tissue.