Epidemiological study (observational study)

Maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and behaviour problems in 5-year-old children epidem.

By: Guxens M, van Eijsden M, Vermeulen R, Loomans E, Vrijkotte TG, Komhout H, van Strien RT, Huss A

Published in: J Epidemiol Community Health 2013; 67 (5): 432-438

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A study was conducted in the Netherlands to investigate the association between maternal mobile phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and child behavior problems at 5 years of age as reported by teachers and mothers.

Further details

Teachers and mothers reported child behavior problems using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire at the age of 5 years.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

behavior problems

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone
- GSM
- cordless phone
- personal

Assessment

list: matching children's birth addresses with a map of an area-level indicator of socioeconomic position
questionnaire: number of mobile phone calls and cordless phone calls during pregnancy, use of hands-free equipment

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	prenatal mobile phone use: none
Group 2	prenatal mobile phone use: < 1 call/day
Group 3	prenatal mobile phone use: 1 - 4 calls/day
Group 4	prenatal mobile phone use: ≥ 5 calls/day
Reference group 5	prenatal cordless phone use: none
Group 6	prenatal cordless phone use: < 1 call/day
Group 7	prenatal cordless phone use: 1 - 4 calls/day
Group 8	prenatal cordless phone use: ≥ 5 calls/day

Population

Group:
- children
Age: ≥ 5 years
Characteristics: children whose mothers are participants in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) study
Observation period: 2003 - 2011
Study location: The Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Data source: Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) study

Study size

Type	Value
Total	8,266
Participants	2,618

Statistical analysis method:

logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
education
country of birth, parity, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, anxiety and depression during pregnancy, history of psychopathology

)

Results (acc. to author)

Among all mothers, 6.1% reported not using a cell phone, 38.4% less than 1 call/day, 38.5% 1-4 calls/day and 17% 5 or more calls/day during pregnancy. Regarding cordless phone use, 13% reported not using a cordless phone, 46% less than 1 call/day, 33.5% 1-4 calls/day and 7.5% 5 or more calls/day during pregnancy.
Overall, 9.6% of the children were classified as having overall behavior problems based on the teacher reports, compared with only 3.3% based on the maternal reports.
Children with prenatal exposure to mobile phones showed an increased but non-significant association of having teacher-reported overall behavior problems, although without dose-response relationship with the number of calls (0R 2.12, CI 0.95-4.74 for < 1 call/day; OR 1.58, CI 0.69-3.60 for 1-4 calls/day; OR 2.04 CI 0.86-4.80 for ≥ 5 calls/day). No association between teacher-reported overall behavior problems and cordless phone use was found. Associations of maternal mobile phone and cordless phone use with maternal-reported overall behavior problems remained non-significant.
The authors conclude that the results do not suggest that maternal mobile phone or cordless phone use during pregnancy increases the risk of behavior problems in their children.

Study funded by

ZonMw, The Netherlands

Comments on this article

Sudan M et al. (2013): On the association of cell phone exposure with childhood behaviour
Guxens M et al. (2013): Reply to 'on the association of cell phone exposure with childhood behaviour' by Sudan et al

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