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10. What about children using wireless phones?
The scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of
wireless phones, including children and teenagers. If you want
to take steps to lower exposure to Radio Frequency energy (RF),
the measures described above would apply to children and
teenagers using wireless phones. Reducing the time of wireless
phone use and increasing the distance between the user and
the RF source will reduce RF exposure. Some groups sponsored
by other national governments have advised that children be
discouraged from using wireless phones at all. For example, the
government in the United Kingdom distributed leaflets containing
such a recommendation in December 2000. They noted that no
evidence exists that using a wireless phone causes brain tumors
or other ill effects. Their recommendation to limit wireless phone
use by children was strictly precautionary; it was not based on
scientific evidence that any health hazard exists.
11. What about wireless phone interference with medical
equipment?
Radio Frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact
with some electronic devices. For this reason, the FDA helped
develop a detailed test method to measure electromagnetic
interference (EMI) of implanted cardiac pacemakers and
defibrillators from wireless telephones. This test method is now
part of a standard sponsored by the Association for the
Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). The final draft,
a joint effort by the FDA, medical device manufacturers, and
many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard
will allow manufacturers to ensure that cardiac pacemakers and
defibrillators are safe from wireless phone EMI.
The FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from handheld
wireless phones and helped develop a voluntary standard
sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE). This standard specifies test methods and performance
requirements for hearing aids and wireless phones so that no
interference occurs when a person uses a “compatible” phone
and a “compatible” hearing aid at the same time. This standard
was approved by the IEEE in 2000.
The FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for
possible interactions with other medical devices. Should harmful
interference be found to occur, the FDA will conduct testing to
assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.
12. Where can I find additional information?
For additional information, please refer to the following resources:
FDA web page on wireless phones
(http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/phones/index.html)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety Program
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
International Commission on Non-lonizing Radiation Protection
(http://www.icnirp.de)
World Health Organization (WHO) International EMF Project
(http://www.who.int/emf)
National Radiological Protection Board (UK)
(http://www.nrpb.org.uk/)