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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 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 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, 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 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. 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 accompanied hearing aid at the same time. This standard was
approved by the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible interactions
with other medical devices. Should harmful interference be found to occur, FDA
will conduct testing to assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.