Cell phone use by pregnant woman may negatively impact child, study says

By Staff Writer

Children of mothers who used cell phones during pregnancy are more likely to develop emotional and behavioral problems, according to a new study.

According to HealthDay, researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health used data that was compiled by the Danish National Birth Cohort, which studied about 100,000 children who were born between 1996 and 2002. UCLA officials examined surveys that were filled out by the mothers of the children, which revealed any emotional and behavioral problems in their children.

Compared to children who had no exposure to cell phone use while in the womb, those who were exposed before and after birth were 50 percent more likely to display behavior problems, the study found. Kids who were exposed to cell phones in the womb, but not after they were born, had a 40 percent higher risk of emotional or behavioral issues.

Researchers cannot conclusively determine whether the radio frequency emitted by cell phones can cause problems in a woman's fetus, they did say that the most cautious way for mothers to avoid any potential long-term problems is to minimize their cell phone exposure.

Children who develop behavioral problems may benefit from alternative boot camps, which aim to instill self-discipline and confidence in troubled teens.