Study type: Epidemiological study (observational study)

Prenatal cell phone use and developmental milestone delays among infants epidem.

Published in: Scand J Work Environ Health 2011; 37 (4): 341-348

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The association of maternal cell phone use during pregnancy with developmental milestone delays of motor, cognitive, and language milestones at age 6 and 18 months among offspring was investigated in a cohort study in Denmark.

Further details

Outcomes for developmental milestones were obtained from two telephone interviews completed by mothers at age 6 and 18 months of their child. Mobile phone use was assessed in a questionnaire completed by mothers at age 7 years of their children.
Studies on behavioural problems in the 7-year old children were published in Divan et al. (2008) and Divan et al. (2010).

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

Type of risk estimation: (odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

Assessment

Exposure groups

Group Description
Reference group 1 no exposure
Group 2 prenatal exposure
Reference group 3 times spoken per day: 0 - 1
Group 4 times spoken per day: 2 - 3
Group 5 times spoken per day: ≥ 4
Reference group 6 percentage of time turned on: 0
Group 7 percentage of time turned on: < 50
Group 8 percentage of time turned on: 50 - 99
Group 9 percentage of time turned on: 100

Population

Study size

Type Value
Total 41,541
Statistical analysis method: (adjustment: )

Results (acc. to author)

Nearly 34% of mothers used a cell phone during pregnancy between 1997-2002. Less than 5% of children at age 6 and 18 months had motor, cognitive or language developmental delays.
No evidence of an association between maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and motor, cognitive or 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.

Study funded by

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