Cell phone use during pregnancy may lead to badly behaved kids

by Susan Wagner (Subscribe to Susan Wagner's posts) Jul 30th 2008 4:00PM

Categories: Development, In The News, Weird But True

If you are currently pregnant, you might want to think twice before you run out and buy a new iPhone: a recently released study found that women who use cell phones frequently during pregnancy are more likely to have kids with behavior problems. The study also found that kids who use cell phones appear to be at risk for behavior problems.

Researchers looked at 13,159 children whose mothers had signed up to participate in a Danish National Birth Cohort study during their pregnancies. When the children were seven years old, the researchers did follow-up studies in which they correlated maternal cell phone use and behavior problems in the children. According to a Reuters news report, "After the researchers adjusted for factors that could influence the results, such as a mother's psychiatric problems and socioeconomic factors, children with both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure were 80 percent more likely to have abnormal or borderline scores on tests evaluating emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, or problems with peers."

One theory is that radiofrequency exposure from the cell phones caused some kind of neurological damage to these children in utero, and that childhood cell phone use is now exacerbating that damage. And yes, the researchers also took into account the possibility that moms who talk on their cell phones a lot are ignoring their children, which may be the real cause of the bad behavior. Frankly, I'm more willing to believe that than anything.

What do you think -- are you concerned that your cell phone may be harming your unborn baby?

Source

Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Nicola 7-30-2008 @ 5:05PM

So, the mom who's ALWAYS on her cell phone (blackberry, iphone, whatever) has a kid with behaviour problems. Hhhhmmmmm, that's a tough one.

There's a mom at my son's school who I have never seen off of the phone (the dad occasionally does drop off and he's always talking into his Bluetooth ear piece). I have never witnessed either parent speaking TO their child or doing anything more than shoving him and making exasperated faces for him to hurry up.

We are looking at a behaviour deficiency. Natural maternal behaviour involves direct eye contact, physical contact, verbal contact. Interaction between mother and child. The mother who is so very important that she can't pull herself away from the cell phone is probably not providing the structure and contact that her child requires. So, yeah, I'd say that maternal cell phone use has a lot to do with children who have problems. Mom problems.

And lady who shoves her kid off to school while she talks on the phone and types on the Blackberry -- PLEASE get over yourself. Put it all away. You can answer messages on your way to the office, AFTER you've dropped your son at school. Like the rest of us.

Michelle 7-30-2008 @ 7:20PM

This seems to be more about excessive cell phone usage. In our house we do not have a land line, instead have gone to just cell phones (Hubby, me, and teen son)...of course the baby does NOT have one. However, at home we rarely use them unless someone who would call our house phone (if we had one) calls. We just have the rule that phone usage at home is limited because that is family time. So I would agree with the above poster. When you are around family the cell is not important and should never come before them. Messages and missed calls can be returned.

C 7-30-2008 @ 7:27PM

I don't think using a cell while pregnant leads to damage. However, I typically drive with the cell phone on my lap but when I was pregnant I would not allow the cell to be that close to my belly...I think that placing a cell on your belly has a bigger risk than just using the cell. Might sound crazy but it made logical sense to me while I was pregnant.

Jenn 7-30-2008 @ 8:19PM

Well, since there has recently been found to be a definite link between cell phone usage and brain tumours, I wouldn't be too surprised if there is something physical at work here.
However, I'm MUCH more inclined to believe that it is more mom ignoring children while talking on the phone that results in the behavioral issues, rather than any sort of neurological damage.
Myself, I didn't have to limit cell phone use much while I was pregnant because I hate the dang things anyway. I think I actually use my cell once or twice a week.

Jenna 7-31-2008 @ 10:24AM

Nicola made the point I was coming in to say very well. Kudos.

Jenni 7-31-2008 @ 11:46AM

Yes, Jenna, I think Nicola summed it up for all of us. Enough said!

rebecca Biernesser 7-31-2008 @ 1:29PM

hmmm.....how about paying attention to your child and being a parent? This actually works better then being the hip-mom has a cool phone-look at me i'm your best friend-mom.

I'm just saying...

Fiona Gomez 7-31-2008 @ 2:28PM

Well, I believed that the behavior of the child depends on where or what his/her environment is/like. It's a fact that education starts at home,but for some reason I still agree that using cellphone constantly during pregnancy may lead to badly behaved kids. BTW, speaking of kids behavior I just want to share this video to you guys, the title of this one is "Kids Ain't they sweet?...not!" it's a side-by-side video which featured kids oh-behavior or act. http://clashorama.com/index.php?id=79

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