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14
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 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 found to occur, the FDA will
conduct testing to assess the interference
and work to resolve the problem.
12. Where can I find additional information?
For additional information, please refer to the
following resources:
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
RF Safety Program
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
International Commission on Non-lonizing
Radiation Protection
(http://www.icnirp.de)
World Health Organization (WHO)
International EMF Project
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