Comments on "Association of excessive mobile phone use during pregnancy with birth weight: an adjunct study in Kumamoto of Japan Environment and Children's Study".

Abstract

We have read with interest the article by Lu et al. entitled "Association of excessive mobile phone use during pregnancy with birth weight: an adjunct study in Kumamoto of Japan Environment and Children's Study" published recently in the Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. Although this paper addresses a very challenging issue, it has some shortcomings. Mortazavi et al. have previously studied the effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation on birth weight of newborns and found no statistical significant differences between the mean weight of newborns whose mothers had been exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMF) generated by mobile phones and those of non-exposed mothers. The study performed by Lu et al. cannot answer this very key question that whether ordinary use of mobile phone during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight. The origin of the controversy between the findings of these two studies and the shortcomings of the article by Lu et al. are discussed.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

This comment argues that Lu et al.'s study has shortcomings and cannot answer whether ordinary mobile phone use during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight. It notes that Mortazavi et al. previously reported no statistically significant differences in mean birth weight between newborns of mothers exposed to mobile-phone-generated EMF and those of non-exposed mothers.

Outcomes measured

• birth weight
• low birth weight

Limitations

• Letter/comment rather than original empirical study
• No quantitative results or sample size provided in the abstract
• Discusses prior studies without providing methodological details in the abstract

Suggested hubs

• who-icnirp (0.2)
  Discusses health effects of mobile phone EMF; general relevance to RF exposure health evidence debates.

{
    "study_type": "other",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": "mobile phone",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "during pregnancy (ordinary vs excessive use mentioned)"
    },
    "population": "pregnant women and newborns (birth weight outcome)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "birth weight",
        "low birth weight"
    ],
    "main_findings": "This comment argues that Lu et al.'s study has shortcomings and cannot answer whether ordinary mobile phone use during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight. It notes that Mortazavi et al. previously reported no statistically significant differences in mean birth weight between newborns of mothers exposed to mobile-phone-generated EMF and those of non-exposed mothers.",
    "effect_direction": "unclear",
    "limitations": [
        "Letter/comment rather than original empirical study",
        "No quantitative results or sample size provided in the abstract",
        "Discusses prior studies without providing methodological details in the abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
    "confidence": 0.66000000000000003108624468950438313186168670654296875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "mobile phone",
        "pregnancy",
        "electromagnetic fields",
        "non-ionizing radiation",
        "birth weight",
        "low birth weight",
        "commentary"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
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            "slug": "who-icnirp",
            "weight": 0.200000000000000011102230246251565404236316680908203125,
            "reason": "Discusses health effects of mobile phone EMF; general relevance to RF exposure health evidence debates."
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}

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