Cell Phones, Computers, Microwaves… And Your Baby

Many pregnant moms worry about the effect of electromagnetic waves on their unborn baby. Frequent causes of worry are computers, laptops, cell phones, microwaves, and wireless internet routers.

Here’s what we know and what we don’t know about these devices and how they affect your baby.

Cell phones emit low levels of radio waves, called non-ionising electromagnetic radiation. Lots of everyday items do. Televisions, computers and microwaves all give out this type of radiation. Non-ionising radiation is much milder than ionising radiation, which is emitted by X-rays, radiation therapy machines and CT scans. The electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by cell phone use.

However, many of these items have only been used since the 1990s, and in research terms, that is not a long enough time to know whether they can have long term effects on health. Further, there are few studies on the specific effects on the unborn fetus, so we are forced to rely on evidence from animal studies or human studies that may not include pregnant women. Several studies are ongoing to more fully assess potential long-term effects of cell phone use.

So basically, we don’t know exactly how electromagnetic fields affect us or if they will affect your baby in the long-term. Therefore, it may be wise to reduce your exposure while pregnant. Here are some ways you can do that:

• Check your phone’s specific absorption rate (SAR) rating: Every mobile phone has a SAR value, which tells you the maximum amount of radiation, or energy, absorbed by your body when you’re using your phone. The higher your phone’s SAR, the more radiation you absorb. Check your SAR rating in your phone instructions, on the manufacturer’s website or at www.sarvalues.com
• Use a hands-free device or headset. The power (and hence the radiofrequency exposure to a user) falls off rapidly with increasing distance from the handset. A person using a mobile phone 30–40 cm away from their body — for example when text messaging, accessing the Internet, or using a “hands free” device — will therefore have a much lower exposure to radiofrequency fields than someone holding the handset against their head.
• Limit the number and length of calls or use text message. Using the phone in areas of good reception also decreases exposure as it allows the phone to transmit at reduced power, therefore reducing radiofrequency exposure.
• Get rid of your microwave. Or replace an old or broken microwave that can leak radiation.
• Do not use your laptop on your lap. Put it on a table or a lap desk (you can get a cheap computer lap desk at Target). Sit as far away from your computer as is reasonably comfortable. Do not use it while it is charging as it emits more radiation at this time.
• Use an EMF shield for your computer. Even if you use an EMF shield, don’t put your laptop directly on your lap. Here is one EMF shield that has good reviews: http://harapad.com/
• Go wired. WiFi emits electromagnetic frequency as well and some EMF shields don’t protect against this.

Information from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/
Photo by Randy Sloan

Originally published at www.nightingalebirth.com.