Pregnancy is a period when a woman should take additional safety measures to ensure the well-being of her child and herself. You should already be aware of the importance of eating healthy foods and avoiding unhealthy foods during pregnancy. Are you aware that everyday little things can have harmful effects during this period? Radiation from mobile phones, computers and wireless internet (WiFi) can affect pregnancy.
A pregnant woman is exposed to many environmental influences, it is difficult to determine which of them can affect the pregnancy. The use of electronic devices that emit radiation, such as WiFi routers and smartphones, has increased noticeably in recent times. This means that a pregnant woman can be exposed to large amounts of radiation even if she is not using a mobile phone.
Researchers claim that cell phones emit radio waves, a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which probably does not affect the health of the mother or the growing fetus. However, some research suggests that long-term cell phone use can cause insomnia, decreased bone density and brain function. On the other hand, exposure to lower and limited levels of mobile radiation may not harm health. It therefore makes sense to limit exposure to mobile phones during pregnancy.
Is it safe to use a mobile phone during pregnancy?
Mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiation, which is a type of non-ionizing radiation.
Mobile phones are usually rated based on the amount of radiation they emit, known as SAR (Specific Absorption Rate). This value informs about the amount of radiation that the body can absorb when using a particular phone. The SAR value may vary from phone to phone, model to model and brand to brand. The higher the SAR value of a mobile phone, the more radiation the body absorbs. Constant use of a mobile phone during pregnancy can expose you to greater absorption of radiation, which can interfere with brain activity, affect sleep patterns, cause fatigue or memory loss.
Research has been conducted to determine whether using cell phones during pregnancy is a serious health risk. No research has proven the negative effects of using cell phones for short periods of time. However, during pregnancy, caution is the best approach.
What does research say about cell phone use during pregnancy?
Research has been conducted to understand the effects of cell phone use during pregnancy. According to research by scientists from Yale University, mobile phones were connected to the cages of pregnant mice to monitor how radiation might affect the fetus. When the mice gave birth, it was noticeable that the mice exposed to constant cell phone radiation gave birth to babies with behavioral problems similar to those of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). However, this research is not conclusive because people are much bigger and don't use their phones all the time.
A 2017 study in Barcelona, which included more than 80,000 mother-child pairs, concluded that parents who spend more time on their phones are more likely to have children with behavioral and emotional problems, especially those related to hyperactivity.
Most previous research in this area has been limited and mostly based on animal testing. Therefore, there is no absolute evidence that cell phone use during pregnancy is unsafe. But if you're still concerned, there's no harm in taking some precautions when using a cell phone during pregnancy.
The impact of excessive mobile phone use during pregnancy
Excessive cell phone use during pregnancy can affect you and your baby in the following ways:
- Prolonged use of mobile phones during pregnancy can increase the risk of behavioral problems such as hyperactivity in children.
- High exposure to radiation during pregnancy can also change a pregnant woman's brain activity, causing fatigue, anxiety, reduced memory and sleep disturbances.
- Constant and continuous exposure to radio waves during pregnancy can even affect the cellular receptors of the human body and trigger a series of uncontrollable consequences, increasing the possible risk of cancer. However, further research is needed on this.
Tips for limiting mobile phone use
The harmful effects of mobile phone radiation are a cause for concern during pregnancy. Many experts believe that excessive cell phone use during pregnancy can cause several behavioral and emotional problems in children. Therefore, you must try to limit the use of mobile phones when you are pregnant. Here are some useful tips on how to limit the use of mobile phones:
- Try not to use your mobile phone as much as possible. Use a landline instead.
- Avoid carrying a mobile phone in a pocket close to the stomach to protect the child from possible harm.
- Avoid putting your mobile phone under your pillow or next to your head when you sleep. Be sure to keep your mobile phone at a safe distance from the bed.
- You may want to turn off your cell phone at night if possible.
- Turn off WiFi at night after you sleep or when not needed to reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation.
- Avoid long conversations on the mobile phone.
- Consider using the loudspeaker (Hand-free) when talking on a mobile phone.
- Use your mobile phone in a place where you have a strong signal. A stronger signal implies a low SAR value.
- Choose a mobile phone with a low SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) value to ensure minimal absorption of radiation by the body.
- Consider using protective products that reduce radiation exposure such as mobichip (More about mobichip)
There is no conclusive evidence to justify the claim that using a cell phone during pregnancy is dangerous. However, during pregnancy it is best to be sensible and limit the use of mobile phones for a safe pregnancy.
