Mobile phone use linked to child behaviour problems

Regularly using mobile phones while pregnant has been linked to behavioural problems in children, according to new research.

A study of more than 28,000 Danish mothers and their children found that babies exposed to mobile phones before birth were 40 per cent more likely to have behavioural problems when older.

However, in children who were not exposed to mobile phones in the womb, but who had access to them by the age of seven, the figure was 20 per cent.

In the study, the mothers were questioned in detail about their lifestyles, diet and environment before, during and after pregnancy, and when their child reached seven years of age.

They were also asked to provide details of their mobile phone use during pregnancy and their child's mobile phone use.

Overall, around three per cent of children born were considered to have borderline behavioural problems, while a similar amount were categorised as exhibiting abnormal behaviour.

After taking into account a range of factors which may influence the study results, researchers from the University of California Los Angeles found that children exposed to mobile phones both before and after birth were 50 per cent more likely to have behavioural problems.

The researchers say the new findings back their previous research and reduce the likelihood that their results are a chance finding.

However, although the results suggest a link between mobile phones and childhood behaviour, it does not mean that mobile phones are the direct cause of the problem.

“Although it is premature to interpret these results as causal, we are concerned that early exposure to cell phones could carry a risk, which, if real, would be of public health concern given the widespread use of this technology,” the report said.

The findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

This article was published on Tue 7 December 2010