Studio condotto sui possibili effetti
cognitivo / comportamentali (iperattività/disattenzione) sui bambini nati da
madri esposte durante la gravidanza alle frequenze dei telefoni
cellulari.
Dedicato a chi continua a sostenere che
non esistono evidenze scientifiche.
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Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child
behavioral problems in five birth cohorts.
Birks L (1), Guxens M (2), Papadopoulou E (3) , Alexander J (3), Ballester F (4), Estarlich M (4), Gallastegi M (5), Ha M (6), Haugen M (7), Huss A (8), Kheifets L (9), Lim H (6), Olsen J (10), Santa-Marina L (11), Sudan M (12), Vermeulen R (13), Vrijkotte T (14), Cardis E (15), Vrijheid M (15).
1 ISGlobal Center for Research in Environmental
Epidemiology, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra
University, Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; Spanish
Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto
de Salud Carlos III, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Madrid, Spain. Electronic
address: laura.birks@isglobal.org.
2 ISGlobal Center for Research in
Environmental Epidemiology, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu
Fabra University, Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain;
Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP),
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Madrid, Spain;
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University
Medical Centre-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The
Netherlands.
3 Domain of Infection Control and
Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Lovisenberggata 8,
0456 Oslo, Norway.
4 Spanish Consortium for Research on
Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av.
Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Madrid, Spain; Epidemiology and Environmental Health
Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Av.
De Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
5 BIODONOSTIA Health Research Institute,
Begiristain Doctorea Pasealekua, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; University of the
Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Faculty of Medicine, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940
Leioa, Spain.
6 Department of Preventive Medicine,
Dankook University, College of Medicine, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Jukjeon 1, Cheonan,
Republic of Korea.
7 Department of Exposure and Risk
Assessment, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Lovisenberggata 8, 0456 Oslo,
Norway.
8 Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,
Utrecht University, Domplein 29, 3512 JE Utrecht, Netherlands.
9 Department of Epidemiology, School of
Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles,
CA 90095, USA; Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Department of Public Health,
Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
10 Danish Epidemiology Science Centre,
Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, 8000 Aarhus,
Denmark.
11 Spanish Consortium for Research on
Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av.
Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Madrid, Spain; BIODONOSTIA Health Research Institute,
Begiristain Doctorea Pasealekua, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Public Health
Division of Gipuzkoa, Basque Government, De Francia Ibilbidea, 12, 20012 San
Sebastian, Spain.
12 Department of Epidemiology, School of
Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles,
CA 90095, USA; Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Department of Public Health,
Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Danish Epidemiology
Science Centre, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus,
Denmark.
13 Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,
Utrecht University, Domplein 29, 3512 JE Utrecht, Netherlands; Julius Center
for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Heidelberglaan
100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
14 Department of Public Health, Academic
Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
15 ISGlobal Center for Research in
Environmental Epidemiology, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu
Fabra University, Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain;
Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP),
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Madrid, Spain.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Previous studies have reported associations between
prenatal cell phone use and child behavioral problems, but findings have been
inconsistent and based on retrospective assessment of cell phone use. This
study aimed to assess this association in a multi-national analysis, using data
from three cohorts with prospective data on prenatal cell phone use, together
with previously published data from two cohorts with retrospectively collected
cell phone use data.
METHODS:
We used individual participant data from 83,884
mother-child pairs in the five cohorts from Denmark (1996-2002), Korea
(2006-2011), the Netherlands (2003-2004), Norway (2004-2008), and Spain
(2003-2008). We categorized cell phone use into none, low, medium, and high,
based on frequency of calls during pregnancy reported by the mothers. Child
behavioral problems (reported by mothers using the Strengths and Difficulties
Questionnaire or Child Behavior Checklist) were classified in the
borderline/clinical and clinical ranges using validated cut-offs in children
aged 5-7years. Cohort specific risk estimates were meta-analyzed.
RESULTS:
Overall, 38.8% of mothers, mostly from the Danish
cohort, reported no cell phone use during pregnancy and these mothers were less
likely to have a child with overall behavioral, hyperactivity/inattention or
emotional problems. Evidence for a trend of increasing risk of child behavioral
problems through the maternal cell phone use categories was observed for
hyperactivity/inattention problems (OR for problems in the clinical range:
1.11, 95%CI 1.01, 1.22; 1.28, 95%CI 1.12, 1.48, among children of medium and
high users, respectively). This association was fairly consistent across
cohorts and between cohorts with retrospectively and prospectively collected
cell phone use data.
CONCLUSIONS:
Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy may be
associated with an increased risk for behavioral problems, particularly
hyperactivity/inattention problems, in the offspring. The interpretation of
these results is unclear as uncontrolled confounding may influence both
maternal cell phone use and child behavioral problems.
