Is it safe to use a smart phone when I'm pregnant?

:babycenter.com

2013/03/04

636

Expert Answers

Lori Wolfe
Genetic counselor

For now, yes, it looks perfectly safe to use your phone all you want.

Cell phones do emit low-wave microwave energy, but this hasn't been shown to have any adverse effect on a woman or her pregnancy.

That said, we can't say for sure that in five years scientists won't find out that high cell phone use does have some health risks. Cell phones have really only been heavily used for ten years, and we don't know everything yet.

To be extra cautious, don't rest your cell phone on your belly. Even when you aren't making a call, a phone that's turned on emits low-wave energy – especially a smart phone, which is constantly searching for data.

Gwenn O'Keeffe
Pediatrician, author

Yes, it's safe.

Pregnant women worry about all kinds of exposure, but your baby is well buffered. There's plenty of protective tissue between the outside world and your baby. Regularly using your smart phone won't harm your pregnancy at all.

If you're worried about low-frequency microwaves, use a wired headset (a wireless headset puts out the same level of microwaves as a phone) and keep your phone off your body.