Does phone use during pregnancy affect the fetus' brain development and other behaviors? No, that's not true: There are no confirmed effects in human pregnancy. Several studies have shown the lack of association between phone use and the development of a fetus or a child's skills after birth.
The claim appeared in a video on TikTok posted on May 6, 2024 (archived here). It had the following caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff):
Three dangers that moms have to be cautious about. #machikomom #goodthingsmomandki
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu May 9 11:32:12 2024 UTC)
In the video, the narrator explained three impacts that would happen to a fetus if a pregnant mother frequently uses her phone. First, the radiation from the phone will slow down the fetus' brain development. Second, its sleeping schedule and daily routine could change if the mom uses her phone loudly during the fetus' sleeping time, waking it up. Third, the child will be difficult to raise after birth as they will be used to this different routine of waking up in the middle of their sleeping time and consequently sleeping during the day. The video didn't present any evidence to support these claims.
While cell phones release non-ionizing radiation, routine exposure to it doesn't pose any harm to humans, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (archived here). Specifically, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website entry (archived here) that exposure to nonionizing radiation is usually "not hazardous to you or your unborn baby."
Many workers are exposed to common sources of nonionizing radiation at work. Microwave ovens, computer screens, and cell phones use nonionizing radiation at exposure levels that are considered safe.
There are specific workplace cases where caution must be exercised, reads the website:
Some healthcare workers (diathermy operators) and certain industries use nonionizing radiation at higher levels.
Most scientific studies have yielded similar results: The health risks to a fetus from its mother's phone aren't confirmed.
While a 2012 study from Yale University, published in Scientific Reports (archived here), found an association between prenatal cellular telephone use and hyperactivity in children, the direct effects of the exposure on neurodevelopment remain unknown. Additionally, the study was done in mice and noted that further experimentation is needed in humans or non-human primates.
A more recent study in 2017, published in BMC Public Health (archived here), looked into how cell phone usage in early pregnancy affects a child's language, communication, and motor skills at three and five years in Norwegian moms. It concluded that "no evidence of adverse neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal cell phone use was reported."
A 2017 study published in Environment International journal (archived here), said to be the largest study to date on prenatal phone use in five birth cohorts, found some association with the use and an increased risk for behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and inattention. However, the study didn't consider other social factors such as parenting style, material hyperactivity, and more.
The World Health Organization confirmed the notion (archived here): Exposure to electromagnetic fields in the living and working environment doesn't increase the risk of any adverse outcome from a pregnancy.
