Using a Cell Phone during Pregnancy – Is It Safe?
I will be the first to admit that I am always on my phone, laptop, and pretty much always tethered. But some will say constant exposure if a big no, no!
Cell phones and other wireless devices emit radio waves. While the effects are still being studied, here's what the science says so far about normal cell phone use during pregnancy. To date, no study has shown an uncontested link between cell phone use and any adverse outcomes to fetal development in humans — which means there’s no need to ditch yours just yet. Read on to find out what the science says and help ease your concerns.
So is using a smartphone during pregnancy safe?
Researchers say that if a pregnant woman uses a cell phone, it will most likely not cause any effect on the mother and growing baby’s health.
According to the research conducted to understand the impact of using a cell phone during pregnancy, excess exposure to a mobile phone during pregnancy can prove detrimental to fetal brain development and may result in behavioral issues like hyperactivity later on. However, in spite of these research, substantial evidence is still unavailable which can prove that the use of a mobile phone can result in behavioral complications.
Why the worry over wireless?
In today’s technology-driven world, you don’t just rely on your cell phone to stay in touch with friends and family, get your work done and keep track of what’s going on around you. Wireless Internet connections, laptops and tablets are just as ubiquitous, day and night. All of these devices communicate with one another and the outside world by emitting and receiving energy called electromagnetic radio waves — a tiny fraction of which invariably ends up inside the bodies of anyone nearby. In high enough quantities, radio waves can heat tissue, damage DNA and change the conformation of molecules inside living cells. But whether they have long-term effects on health depends on the strength and frequency of the wave.
Believe it or not, the sun, your microwave, X-ray machines, flying in an airplane, your radio and even your granite countertop all emit varying levels of the same type of radio waves — which means you’d have to live in a bubble to stay away from all electromagnetic waves.
What should you do?
Most healthcare practitioners agree that the research done on cell phone use during pregnancy is too inconclusive for them to recommend people make any lifestyle changes when it comes to talking, texting and browsing the web.
Tips on how pregnant women can limit mobile phone usage:
Try not using cell phone as much as possible - an alternative would be to use the landline phone!
Avoid carrying cell phone in a pocket near the belly! It will help protect the baby.
Keep phone at safe distance from bed, especially while sleeping!
Turn cell phone off at night while you sleep, especially if it’s a possibility!
Remember to switch off the WiFi at night when not in use!
Try not to have long phone calls! Keep calls to the minimum
Consider using speakerphone or handsfree while talking on the phone!
I recently came across a product that shields against this type of radiation, called the Belly Armor RadiaShield® Fabric (within the ~50dB range). Would you use it?
Research: https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/cell-phone/
