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FDA CONSUMER UPDATE FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
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 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. 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.
12. Where can I find additional information?
For additional information, please refer to the following resources:
• FDA web page on wireless phones (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/phones/index.html)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety Pro-gram
(http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety)
• International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (http://www.icnirp.de)
• World Health Organization (WHO) International EMF Project (http://www.who.int/emf)
• National Radiological Protection Board (UK) (http://www.nrpb.org.uk/)