Citation

Guxens M, van Eijsden M, Vermeulen R, Loomans E, Vrijkotte TG, Komhout H, van Strien RT, Huss A. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2013; 67(5): 432-438.

Affiliation

Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Jenalaan 18d, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Comment In:

J Epidemiol Community Health 2013;67(11):980.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/jech-2012-201792

PMID

23386674

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A previous study found an association between maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 7. Together with cell phones, cordless phones represent the main exposure source of radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields to the head. Therefore, we assessed the association between maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and teacher-reported and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 5. METHODS: The study was embedded in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, a population-based birth cohort study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2003-2004). Teachers and mothers reported child behaviour problems using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire at age 5. Maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy was asked when children were 7 years old. RESULTS: A total of 2618 children were included. As compared to non-users, those exposed to prenatal cell phone use showed an increased but non-significant association of having teacher-reported overall behaviour problems, although without dose-response relationship with the number of calls (OR=2.12 (95% CI 0.95 to 4.74) for <1 call/day, OR=1.58 (95% CI 0.69 to 3.60) for 1-4 calls/day and OR=2.04 (95% CI 0.86 to 4.80) for ≥5 calls/day). ORs for having teacher-reported overall behaviour problems across categories of cordless phone use were below 1 or close to unity. Associations of maternal cell phone and cordless phone use with maternal-reported overall behaviour problems remained non-significant. Non-significant associations were found for the specific behaviour problem subscales. CONCLUSION: Our results do not suggest that maternal cell phone or cordless phone use during pregnancy increases the odds of behaviour problems in their children.

Language: en