Maternal mobile phone exposure adversely affects the electrophysiological properties of Purkinje neurons in rat offspring.
Haghani M, Shabani M, Moazzami K. · 2013
View Original AbstractPrenatal mobile phone radiation altered brain cell function in rat offspring despite normal behavior, revealing hidden developmental effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to 900-MHz mobile phone radiation for 6 hours daily throughout pregnancy and studied the brain development of their offspring. While the young rats showed no obvious behavioral problems, detailed electrical measurements revealed that specialized brain cells called Purkinje neurons (which help control movement and coordination) had altered electrical activity. This suggests that prenatal cell phone exposure can affect brain development at the cellular level, even when outward behavior appears normal.
Why This Matters
This study adds to growing evidence that prenatal EMF exposure can alter brain development in ways that aren't immediately obvious through behavioral testing. The fact that Purkinje neurons showed measurable electrical changes despite normal motor function is particularly significant because these cells are crucial for fine motor control and learning. The 6-hour daily exposure used here exceeds typical phone use patterns, but pregnant women today face constant EMF exposure from multiple sources throughout the day. What makes this research especially concerning is that it demonstrates how EMF effects on the developing brain can be subtle yet measurable at the cellular level. The science demonstrates that even when behavioral tests appear normal, the underlying neural architecture may still be compromised. This highlights the importance of the precautionary principle during pregnancy, when the developing nervous system is most vulnerable to environmental influences.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900-MHz Duration: 6h per day during all gestation period
Study Details
we aimed to elucidate the possible effects of prenatal EMF exposure on the cerebellum of offspring Wistar rats.
Rats in the EMF group were exposed to 900-MHz pulse-EMF irradiation for 6h per day during all gestat...
The results of the present study failed to show any behavioral abnormalities in rats exposed to chro...
In conclusion, the results of the present study show that prenatal EMF exposure results in altered electrophysiological properties of Purkinje neurons. However, these changes may not be severe enough to alter the cerebellum-dependent functional tasks.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2013_maternal_mobile_phone_exposure_2137,
author = {Haghani M and Shabani M and Moazzami K.},
title = {Maternal mobile phone exposure adversely affects the electrophysiological properties of Purkinje neurons in rat offspring.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23906636/},
}