Cell Phone Radiation During
Pregnancy: Effect On Newborns Needs Authentic Research
Smart Safe Hollow Air Tube
Cell Phone Radiation Protection
Radiation Protection Products
HELSINKI
March 18, 2012
Potential health effects of cell phone radiation in children
were examined by very few studies published in the last 2-3
years. Assurances from the committees advising governments
on cell phone radiation safety limits, that the current
safety limits protect all users, are not supported by the
currently available scientific evidence.
Effects on children are only now beginning to be examined.
One of the crucial questions to which we have no scientific
answer is whether exposure of fetus to cell phone radiation
will have any impact on physical and mental health of a
child and, in due time, adult.
In 2011, researchers from California, using the data from
the "infamous" Danish Cohort, analyzed whether exposure of
fetus , by a mother using a cell phone, will affect
development of child during the first 18 months of life.
An interesting twist in how the study was executed was that:
"Outcomes for developmental milestones were obtained from
telephone interviews completed by mothers at age 6 and 18
months postpartum."
What it means in plain language is that the scientists from
California called mothers in Denmark and asked them to judge
the development of their own children. Is this the reliable
and unbiased scientific method to evaluate child
development?
All of us who followed the development of our own children,
know how difficult it is for parent, obviously biased
observer of own children, to determine whether a child is
developing as expected or whether there are any
developmental delays or speed ups. Asking mother of the
child age 6 or 18 months (time-points examined in the
study), whether her child is delayed in cognitive/language
or motor development will obviously prompt biased answers.
Such evaluation should be done by someone who is not
involved emotionally.
The study based its research on this type of "emotionally
biased scientific data".
Furthermore, there was another problem with the data. The
study did not examine whether a mothers cell-phone-related
lifestyle had any potential impact on the development of
children. Mothers using cell phones during pregnancy exposed
fetuses, to some degree, to cell phone radiation. However,
additional factor that could have an impact on the
children’s development was mothers' lifestyle. Using cell
phone changes behavior of the users. They are available to
others 24/7. Their life is more stressful by being all the
time "on call". Such maternal stress could have impact on
development of children. But it was not examined.
Not surprisingly, the conclusion of this human study was:
"No evidence of an association between prenatal cell phone
use and motor or cognitive/language developmental delays
among infants at 6 and 18 months of age was observed. Even
when considering dose-response associations for cell phone,
associations were null."
Such poor quality scientific studies are not rare and,
unfortunately, are used by the committees setting safety
limits. What is worse, once a study is published, it is
nearly impossible to remove it. The only reason for
retraction of the study is scientific misconduct. If there
is no "scientific foul play" then no matter how bad the
study is it remains forever as valid peer-reviewed evidence.
It is really very bad situation because it propagates and
perpetuates misinformation.
However, in respect to fetal exposure to cell phone
radiation, there might be a "light at the end of tunnel".
The new study , published on March 15th, 2012 in Scientific
Reports published by the prestigious British NATURE, should
provide much needed stimulus for serious research.
Scientists from Yale, using animal studies, researched how
exposure of fetuses to cell phone radiation affected the
behavior of newborn mice. The use of regular cell phones for
the exposure certainly did not provide best possible
exposure.
However, as one of the "guru" scientists in the area of
exposures told me is that if exposure to regular cell phone
shows a biological effect then such study should not be
dismissed off hand. It should be the reason for making
replication, with better radiation exposure information.
This is exactly the case with the Yale study. Radiation
dosimetry is not the best possible. However, elegantly
performed behavioral experiments in mice indicated that the
exposure might affect mice behavior:
"Overall, the mice exposed in-utero to radiation were
hyperactive, had decreased memory, and decreased anxiety."
Interestingly and importantly, the Yale study examined also
the possible molecular mechanism of the effect and the
potential impact of maternal stress, and not only radiation,
on the offspring's behavior.
The authors summarized their findings and their significance
as follows:
"In summary, we demonstrate that fetal radiofrequency
radiation exposure led to neurobehavioral disorders in mice.
We anticipate these findings will improve our understanding
of the etiology of neurobehavioral disorders. The rise in
behavioral disorders in developed countries may be, at least
in part, due to a contribution from fetal cellular telephone
radiation exposure. Further testing is warranted in humans
and non-human primates to determine if the risks are similar
and to establish safe exposure limits during pregnancy."
The Yale study provides very important information
concerning cell phone radiation exposures (only cell phones
and not other sources as e.g. cell towers, wlan or wi-fi).
It suggests that current safety limits for cell phones might
be insufficient. Based on this single animal study it would
be, however, foolish and irresponsible to demand a change in
safety limits.
However, this study provides a very important scientific
justification for further research on cell phone radiation
effects in humans. There is an urgent need for studies that
are well designed, executed by the scientists (not by
mothers) and take into consideration not only the
possibility of radiation effects but also the possibility
that parental life-style's stress and behavior will affect
the offspring.
We should not rush and jump to conclusions but pregnant
women should be advised to use cell phones sparingly until
more information will be obtained. Also, it would be
prudent, if all cell phone users would limit to the
necessary minimum exposures to cell phone radiation instead
of being blinded by the "race for free minutes".
Plano, Texas
St. Lucia, Castries
Bhutan Thimphu
Angola, Luanda
Spain, Madrid
Malta, Valletta
Maryborough, Queensland
Cleveland, Ohio
Little Rock, Arkansas
Al Hulaylah, United Arab Emirates, Al Hulaylah, UAE
http://www.emfnews.org/store |