Getting Smarter about Smart Technology and Pregnancy
by Mary Esther Malloy, Midwifery Today, Issue 116, Winter 2015
We have special guidelines for pregnant women. Pregnant women don’t smoke or drink alcohol. They avoid sushi and cold cuts. They are assigned a desk job if work is physically overtaxing or exposes a fetus to hazardous chemicals. Evidence now shows that the use of cell phones and wireless devices by pregnant women could have profound neurological impact on the brains of developing babies. A group of almost 70 physicians, scientists and educators say it is time to add cautionary practices around wireless devices to the pregnancy safety list.
Dr. Hugh Taylor, chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine, is one such voice for change. He says, “We have demonstrated clear cause and effect relationships in mice, and we already have studies showing that women who use cell phones have children with more behavioral problems. I think together that’s very powerful evidence…. There’s essentially no downside to being cautious and protecting your baby” (Taylor 2014).
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