Maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and behaviour problems in 5-year-old children

J Epidemiol Community Health. 2013 May;67(5):432-8. doi: 10.1136/jech-2012-201792. Epub 2013 Feb 5.

Abstract

Background: A previous study found an association between maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 7. Together with cell phones, cordless phones represent the main exposure source of radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields to the head. Therefore, we assessed the association between maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and teacher-reported and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 5.

Methods: The study was embedded in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, a population-based birth cohort study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2003-2004). Teachers and mothers reported child behaviour problems using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire at age 5. Maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy was asked when children were 7 years old.

Results: A total of 2618 children were included. As compared to non-users, those exposed to prenatal cell phone use showed an increased but non-significant association of having teacher-reported overall behaviour problems, although without dose-response relationship with the number of calls (OR=2.12 (95% CI 0.95 to 4.74) for <1 call/day, OR=1.58 (95% CI 0.69 to 3.60) for 1-4 calls/day and OR=2.04 (95% CI 0.86 to 4.80) for ≥5 calls/day). ORs for having teacher-reported overall behaviour problems across categories of cordless phone use were below 1 or close to unity. Associations of maternal cell phone and cordless phone use with maternal-reported overall behaviour problems remained non-significant. Non-significant associations were found for the specific behaviour problem subscales.

Conclusion: Our results do not suggest that maternal cell phone or cordless phone use during pregnancy increases the odds of behaviour problems in their children.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Phone / statistics & numerical data*
  • Child
  • Child Behavior / radiation effects*
  • Child Behavior Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Child Behavior Disorders / etiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Faculty / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Mothers / statistics & numerical data
  • Netherlands / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Telephone / statistics & numerical data*