Effect of Mobile Phone Usage During Pregnancy on Total Oxidant and Antioxidant Levels in Cord Blood

Abstract

Objective: Although cell phones are considered to have non-ionizing radiation, they have many adverse health effect. Non-ionizing radiation causes oxidant stress when the balance between the production of free oxygen radicals and their elimination by antioxidants is disrupted. The effects of mobile phone usage during pregnancy on the growing fetus is an important problem that needs to be resolved. We aimed to investigate the effects of using mobile phone during pregnancy on cord blood oxidant-antioxidant levels. Method: Cell phone usage features of 67 healthy pregnant women without additional risk factors were recorded. Total antioxidant status, total oxidant status (TOS), ischemia modified albumin (IMA), total thiol, native thiol, disulfide levels and disulfide/total thiol, disulfide/native thiol, native thiol/total thiol ratios evaluated in umblical cord blood. Results: A negative correlation was found between daily talking duration by mobile phone and IMA levels; a positive correlation was found between daily talking duration and native thiol, total thiol levels (p<0.05). TOS, native thiol and total thiol levels were higher in the mothers who have another mobile phone in their bedroom at night (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our study is the first clinical study that investigates the effects of using mobile phone during pregnancy on cord blood oxidant and antioxidant levels. Mobile phone exposure during pregnancy could have an important potential to cause oxidative stress in cord blood. Therefore, we think that it is important for pregnant women to protect themselves and the fetus by staying away from mobile phones as much as possible during pregnancy.

Keywords

• pregnancy
• mobile phone
• cord blood
• oxidant
• antioxidant