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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.
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Safety guidelines
9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to
radiofrequency energy from my wireless phone?
If there is a risk from these products — and at this point
we do not know that there is — it is probably very small.
But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential
risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your
exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF). Since time is a
key factor in how much exposure a person receives,
reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless
phone will reduce RF exposure.
If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless
phone every day, you could place more distance between
your body and the source of the RF, since the exposure
level drops off dramatically with distance. For example,
you could use a headset and carry the wireless phone
away from your body or use a wireless phone connected
to a remote antenna.
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that
wireless phones are harmful. But if you are concerned
about the RF exposure from these products, you can use
measures like those described above to reduce your RF
exposure from wireless phone use.
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
radiofrequency 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
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