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phones, including children and
teenagers. If you want to take steps
to lower exposure to Radio
Frequency (RF) energy, 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 (RF) energy from
wireless phones can interact with
some electronic devices. For this
reason, the FDA helped develop a
detailed test method to measure
Electro Magnetic 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 f
ound to occur, the FDA will
conduct testing to assess the
interference and work to resolve the
problem.
12. Where can I find additional
infor
mation?
For additional information, please
refer to the following resources:
FDA web page on wireless phones
(http://www.fda.gov), under “C” in
the subject index, select Cell Phones
> Research.
Federal Communications
Safety