Heavy mobile phone use during pregnancy may affect fetal health, study finds

A recent scientific review examined the relationship between mobile phone use during pregnancy and fetal health, noting that some studies have linked frequent phone use to complications such as shorter gestation and cardiovascular abnormalities, while other research found no statistically significant association with serious pregnancy complications.

Researchers reviewed studies published up to February 2026 to assess evidence on the effects of mobile phone use during pregnancy.

The review, published in the journal 'Exposure and Environmental Epidemiology,' was conducted by researchers from Columbia, Cornell, and Johns Hopkins universities.

The researchers explained that interpreting the results is complex, as mobile phone use may be associated with a sedentary lifestyle, not just radiation exposure.

One study involving 423 adults, including 256 women, found that heavy phone use was linked to increased sedentary behavior, which could lead to shorter pregnancies, hypertensive disorders, and delayed fetal growth.

Norman Kleiman, associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University, emphasized that phone use may reflect a more sedentary lifestyle rather than serving as a precise indicator of radiation exposure.

Mobile phones emit non-ionizing microwave radiation known as radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, which do not have enough energy to directly damage DNA.

The researchers noted that accurately estimating radiation exposure is challenging, as it includes other sources such as Wi-Fi networks and cell towers, and levels vary depending on usage patterns and advances in communication technology.

They stressed the need for more precise studies to determine the relationship between mobile phone use and maternal and fetal health, adding that current findings do not allow for definitive conclusions.

Given the inconclusive evidence, the researchers recommended precautionary measures to reduce exposure, such as using speaker mode or wired headsets, keeping phones away from the abdomen, and enabling airplane mode when not connected to the network.