What's wrong with me?

[MayimBialik]

I keep worrying about the amount of time I spend looking the Internet in my iPhone. A few hours a day - and the effect that it may have in my unborn child.

I find it relaxing and I look up baby stuff and go on mumsnet etc. I'll just have it with me while I'm in front of the tv in the evening.

I worry about it, yet I can't stop using it.

Anyone else worry about this? Am I being ridiculous or is it worth worrying about? Anyone else a smart phone /Internet addict?

Yup! DH complains about it (but to be fair he spends as much time on football manager/PS3! I don't worry about the exposure to rays etc but I worry about how much time I spend on phones/iPad!

I set myself a 30 minute target to not check my phone, managed 40! I've dug out a tapestry (very simple, meant for kids!) just to keep my hands active. It feels a bit more productive :)

What are you worried about? Carpal tunnel? Eye strain? I'm always browsing on my phone, need to ween myself off it and do something more useful I think!

I worry about what effect the mobile/ wifi signals will have on the baby. I hope I'm just being ridiculous and it's hormones. I take it no one else worries about this?

Er, no, it hasn't really crossed my mind.mim more concerned about the incessant chat to strangers and the lack of productivity!

I worry to a certain extent but only because DH is so adamant about this kind of thing.

We don't have wifi in the house, or cordless phones and he won't speak to me (or anyone) on his mobile for more than 10 minutes at a time, even then he has to switch at least once between ears!

He makes me move my mobile away from my bump and won't let me have the laptop on my lap for long (it's on a desk most of the time anyway)

I worry about it as he's a very sensible guy and does a lot of research into things before he makes his mind up on a subject. So in a way, I think he's right in what he thinks.

Then again, I think we're exposed to a lot of things on a daily basis without knowing so maybe it is worrying over nothing! On the other hand, will we really know how much these 'things we're exposed to' affect our health until it's too late (examples from the past - thalidomide, nuclear radiation etc).

I could argue for and against all night, so I think I'll leave it there lol!

MB34 what does your DH think the effects might be?

I don't think anyone really knows what the effects are since mobiles and laptops have not been in existence for that long, so studies can only go up to approx. 15-20 years. The longer term effects may be totally different.

My DH says that the waves emitted will heat up your head/body and who knows what effect that may have on your brain/organs now or in years to come (have you noticed that your mobile/laptop does get hot if you use it for a while?)

I have also read somewhere that use of mobiles during pregnancy can cause similar symptoms to ADHD in babies - although I think this study was only done on rats and it didn't state the length of time of the study only that the phone was kept near to the rats at all times during it.

Over the years we have been using other items that transmit radiation - microwaves, radios and obviously we cannot control what we are subjected to when we leave our front door (other people's mobiles, mobile phone masts, bluetooth, other wireless systems - security alarms/video cameras etc).

So personally, I think that if I can take the precautions that I can - like I said my husband does above (and also not taking our phones into the bedroom at night) at least I am stopping some (it may be a miniscule amount but it is 'some') of the damage that may/may not come with it!

I think that, like anything to to do with pregnancy - eating pate/runny eggs, getting the whooping cough vaccine etc, everyone needs to make up their own minds on the risks and do what they think is best!

Completely prepared to be contradicted (degree in Chemistry/ A level Physics was a very long time ago and things change) but I think you don't need to worry.

The wavelengths involved in wifi are much larger than even a single cell, let alone DNA (12cm compared with mere nanometres needed to damage DNA) - they pass straight through the body without interacting as far as I understand it.

Would love a more up-to-date interpretation though!

Hmm, really? I think you're over-thinking this OP, and I'm going to be a completely evil naysayer now. I can't say that I think wifi/microwaves/radios have any real negative affects on anyone, ever, pregnant or not. Other than causing more sedentary lifestyles obviously.

Exposure to nuclear radiation is not like using your mobile phone, otherwise we'd have all died 20 years ago. Wifi is in practically every home, office, shopping centre, hospital, you name it. Often with lots of routers relaying the signal over a huge space. It's completely innocuous. Phones heat up through use, research shows that the amount of radiation emitted from a mobile during a phone call is not enough to do ANY kind of damage. I'd go so far as to say that a glass of beer is more damaging to your braincells than a phone. And microwaves are safe too.

I honestly think there's nothing to worry about. Thalidemide was not thoroughly researched or responsibly published before being prescribed to pregnant ladies. It is not the same!

One thing I hate is seeing parents spending more time looking at their phone than interacting with or keeping an eye on their child whilst out and about.