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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?
Radiofrequency 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
12
Safety Guidelines