Is Bluetooth Safe for Pregnancy?

Being pregnant requires you to make many decisions about your baby’s health. It’s well understood that pregnant mothers’ diets, sleeping patterns, and exercise habits all impact their developing baby in important ways.

But what about Bluetooth technologies, like wireless headphones, wireless speakers, or fitness bands? Are these Bluetooth-enabled devices safe for your pregnancy?

This question gets asked all the time, so I’ve researched the topic and compiled what I found in this article. Before we get to the details though, let me synthesize what I’ve learned:

There isn’t perfect scientific consensus over the potential effects of Bluetooth devices on pregnancy. Some scientific studies have shown a possible correlation between Bluetooth and other RF devices used during pregnancy and the likelihood that a child will develop a learning disorder, such as ADHD. It must be noted, however, that these studies need to be replicated in human populations before a definite conclusion can be drawn.

While the jury is still out on how Bluetooth may affect the unborn, many researchers and doctors are recommending a “better safe than sorry” approach when it comes to protecting you and your nugget from Bluetooth radiation.

That means limiting your use of Bluetooth devices while pregnant and using these devices safely. At the end of this article, I will provide you some easy tips on how to reduce your exposure to RF radiation (like Bluetooth) during your pregnancy.

How Bluetooth Emits Radiation

Before we continue, let’s talk about how Bluetooth works, and how it is like other radiation-emitting devices, such as wireless routers and cellphones.

Modern telecommunications devices work in approximately the same manner. Generally, these devices communicate with each other by emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic waves from their antennae. These radiofrequency waves pass through walls, objects, and living organisms.

The radiation emitted by these devices is non-ionizing, meaning it isn’t powerful enough to denature the molecules it passes through. Instead, it transmits a small amount of energy to the molecules it passes through in the form of heat energy.

Scientific research on the safety of these technologies is starting to examine whether this low-energy radiation is more harmful to human health than previously thought. In fact, some studies have even shown that low-energy electromagnetic radiation affects bodily processes, such as sleep, reproduction, and even energy levels.

As we move forward, keep this in mind—the radiation emitted by Bluetooth devices is the same kind of radiation emitted by other wireless telecommunications technologies. In other words, if one device is shown to cause a reaction in humans, then it is very likely the other device types will elicit the same reaction.

Now that we’ve established where the science is at on this topic, I’d like to provide you a summary of two important studies—the Yale study and the UCLA study.

The Yale Study

The first study I’d like to share with you was conducted by a team of scientists at Yale University in 2012. Researchers wanted to know if there was a correlation between a mother’s exposure to RF radiation—the kind of radiation emitted by Bluetooth devices and smartphones—and adverse health outcomes in their offspring.

To test their hypothesis, researchers split a group of pregnant mice into two groups. The first group was exposed to RF radiation from an operating cell phone for the entire gestational period. The second group spent the gestational period in an environment where there was no RF radiation present.

For 24-hours per day, mice in the first group lived, slept, and ate in the vicinity of a cell phone engaged in an ongoing phone call. Scientists used this to simulate a pregnant mother’s exposure to cell phone radiation in the real world.

When the two groups of mice eventually gave birth, researchers observed behavioral differences between the offspring of the two groups. According to their findings, the offspring whose mothers had been subjected to radiofrequency radiation appeared more hyperactive than the control group. They also showed impaired cognitive function, such as weaker memory.

While the scientists couldn’t go as far as to conclude that these infant mice had ADHD, they also could not preclude this possibility.

This study was quite important because the scientific community had previously dismissed any causal relationship between cell phone use by pregnant women and the incidence of learning disorders in their offspring.

The Yale study makes the case that, in fact, radiation from telecommunications devices, like Bluetooth, may alter the brains of developing offspring.

One of the scientists who authored the study suggested that it may be warranted for expectant mothers to try and reduce their exposure to radiofrequency until the safety of this technology on the unborn can be definitively proven.

The UCLA Study

In the second study I’d like to bring to your attention, researchers at UCLA sought to draw a connection between cell phone use and ADHD.

To test their theory, the researchers asked a group of pregnant Danish women about their cell phone habits over the course of their 9-month pregnancies. Years later, after the women had given birth, researchers followed up with them and their children.

Remarkably, the children whose mothers had used their cell phones more often while pregnant were more likely to have ADHD.

This study is important because it shows that science needs to research the safety of radiofrequency devices more thoroughly.

Steps You Can Take

Unfortunately, wireless technologies like Bluetooth have become an important part of day-to-day life. Bluetooth is used in several common devices and you may find it difficult to avoid using these devices altogether.

And it’s not just Bluetooth, either. Smart meters, appliances, wireless routers, and other common devices are always emitting radiofrequency radiation.

It’s clear that, as an expectant mother, you may not be able to avoid all of the sources of radiofrequency radiation, so what can be done?

Luckily, there are a few straightforward steps you can take to ensure that the baby inside your belly isn’t unnecessarily exposed to large amounts of RF radiation.

Belly Armor Belly Wrap

My first recommendation for protecting yourself is to grab one of these Belly Armor belly wraps.

The Belly Armor belly wrap is a stretchy wrap that fits snugly around your belly. It comes in a couple of colors, including nude color, and fits under your clothes.

This wrap is made from radiation-attenuating materials that are specifically designed to block radiofrequency radiation, like the kind emitted by Bluetooth devices. The entire wrap is made from this material, so you’ll shield your back as well as the front of your belly.

You can check the current price for one of these fancy belly wraps by clicking here.

Create Distance

If you decide a belly wrap isn’t for you, then you can reduce your exposure to Bluetooth radiation in other ways.

The simplest way to cut down on your exposure is to increase the distance between you and the Bluetooth device. For example, you should never use your phone resting on top of your baby bump.

Creating distance between your body and the Bluetooth device is effective because the strength of the radiation decreases with distance. The farther you are from the source, the weaker the exposure.

Whenever possible, use and store your phone as far away from your body as possible. At night, consider placing your phone in airplane mode so that it won’t be emitting unnecessary radiation in the form of Bluetooth, Wifi, or data signals.

In addition, try to limit the time you spend using Bluetooth-enabled devices, like fitness bands and smart speakers. If you do use these devices, try to use them at a distance (kind of difficult in the case of a fitness band).