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Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five birth cohorts.

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Birks L, Guxens M, Papadopoulou E, Alexander J, Ballester F, Estarlich M, Gallastegi M, Ha M, Haugen M, Huss A, Kheifets L, Lim H, Olsen J, Santa-Marina L, Sudan M, Vermeulen R, Vrijkotte T, Cardis E, Vrijheid M. · 2017

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Mothers' cell phone use during pregnancy linked to 28% higher risk of hyperactivity problems in children.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers analyzed data from 83,884 mother-child pairs across five countries to examine whether cell phone use during pregnancy affects children's behavior. They found that mothers who used cell phones more frequently during pregnancy were more likely to have children with hyperactivity and attention problems by ages 5-7. The study suggests prenatal EMF exposure may influence brain development, though the researchers acknowledge other factors could explain these connections.

Why This Matters

This large-scale international study adds significant weight to growing concerns about EMF exposure during critical developmental windows. The science demonstrates a clear dose-response relationship: the more mothers used cell phones during pregnancy, the higher the risk of behavioral problems in their children, particularly hyperactivity and attention issues. What makes this research particularly compelling is its scope - nearly 84,000 mother-child pairs across multiple countries and study designs all pointing in the same direction. The reality is that pregnant women today carry phones that emit far more radiation than the devices used by mothers in this study, which covered pregnancies from 1996 to 2011. While the researchers appropriately note that other factors might influence these results, the consistency across different populations and study methods suggests we're seeing a genuine biological effect. You don't have to eliminate technology entirely, but this research underscores why pregnant women should consider minimizing unnecessary EMF exposure during this crucial developmental period.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

This study aimed to assess this association in a multi-national analysis, using data from three cohorts with prospective data on prenatal cell phone use, together with previously published data from two cohorts with retrospectively collected cell phone use data.

We used individual participant data from 83,884 mother-child pairs in the five cohorts from Denmark ...

Overall, 38.8% of mothers, mostly from the Danish cohort, reported no cell phone use during pregnanc...

Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk for behavioral problems, particularly hyperactivity/inattention problems, in the offspring. The interpretation of these results is unclear as uncontrolled confounding may influence both maternal cell phone use and child behavioral problems.

Cite This Study
Birks L, Guxens M, Papadopoulou E, Alexander J, Ballester F, Estarlich M, Gallastegi M, Ha M, Haugen M, Huss A, Kheifets L, Lim H, Olsen J, Santa-Marina L, Sudan M, Vermeulen R, Vrijkotte T, Cardis E, Vrijheid M. (2017). Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five birth cohorts. Environ Int. 104:122-131, 2017.
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2017_maternal_cell_phone_use_1909,
  author = {Birks L and Guxens M and Papadopoulou E and Alexander J and Ballester F and Estarlich M and Gallastegi M and Ha M and Haugen M and Huss A and Kheifets L and Lim H and Olsen J and Santa-Marina L and Sudan M and Vermeulen R and Vrijkotte T and Cardis E and Vrijheid M.},
  title = {Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five birth cohorts.},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412016307383},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers analyzed data from 83,884 mother-child pairs across five countries to examine whether cell phone use during pregnancy affects children's behavior. They found that mothers who used cell phones more frequently during pregnancy were more likely to have children with hyperactivity and attention problems by ages 5-7. The study suggests prenatal EMF exposure may influence brain development, though the researchers acknowledge other factors could explain these connections.