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FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But
if you are concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use
measures like those described above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless
phone use.
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 Protec-tion
(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/)
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