Bad News for Pregnant Cell Phone Users

There is strong evidence that the use of cell phones before and after pregnancy can cause behavioral problems in children. A recent study on nearly a hundred thousand woman showed that children whose mothers exposed them to cell phones before birth were fifty percent more likely to have emotional or behavioral problems by age seven than those who were not exposed. And children who had no contact with cell phones prenatal, but were using a cell phone by age seven, were twenty percent more likely to develop problems. They discovered a pattern that indicated that the risk of developing a problem grew higher and higher the more the mother blabbed on her cell phone. These problems include social and attention issues, as well as hyperactivity, but where does this stem from? Obviously, there is not any hardcore evidence on the matter yet, but I hope to provide a bit of insight. 

Cell phones emit radio waves that are absorbed into the head, along with a small bit of radiation that has been shown to kill off nerve cells in an experiment done with rats. Over time, this seems to weaken the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from toxic chemicals circulated within the blood. Obviously, using a cell phone one time won’t fry your brain, but we may eventually have to pay for our need to stay connected after several years of use. This is a huge concern, even if the results are inconclusive, because almost seventy percent of the world uses this technology and this number will only increase as new innovations are made and they expand further. 

Some people believe that there needs to be more evidence before they can conclude that cell phones damage your health, but I most certainly wouldn’t wait for more information if I was pregnant. Why put your child at risk just so that you can talk to you friends about what happened on your soap opera last night or to post a status update on Facebook? So, those already pregnant or planning to get pregnant, start limiting the use of your cell phone. I’m not saying to turn it off and never use it again, but only use it when you really have to. And definitely do not sleep with it by your head or on your stomach, especially when it is turned on. And to mothers with young children, try and keep them away from the cell phone and certainly don’t purchase them one at the age of seven. There are very few people they will call and not only is a waste of money, but could pose a serious risk to your child’s health.