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FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
If you want to take steps to lower exposure to radiofre-
quency 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 spon-
sored 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 recom-
mendation 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.
CH 5