Future mothers who regularly use a mobile phone could be at risk of having children with behavioral disorders, especially if children also use these devices early, according to a Danish study published in the journalJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The study is based on the children delivered by nearly 100,000 women between 1996 and 2002. The data obtained show thatmore than a third of 7-year-olds (35%) used a mobile phone. 17% had already been exposed to mobile telephony before and after birth. And 39% had not been exposed before or after birth. In addition, the exposure categories were defined according to various criteria: number of daily calls, location of the device when not in use (in the purse or in a dress pocket), use of a headset, etc.
According to the researchers, the analysis shows thatchildren exposed to mobile phones before and after birth had a 50% higher risk of behavioral problems. For children exposed only before birth, the risk was 40%.
To validate their results, the researchers took into account other factors such as the time spent by the mother with the child. “Even when it isprematurely interpret the resultsas a causal link, we fear that early exposure to mobile phones may present a risk that, if proven,it would be a public health problem, taking into account the extremely wide use of this technology, “the authors conclude.
