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Mobile phones and children: is precaution warranted?
Eric van Rongen1, Eric W Roubos, Lodewijk M van Aernsbergen
1The Electromagnetic Fields Committee, Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Bioelectromagnetics
|January 22, 2004
Summary
Children do not need to limit mobile phone use, as their heads are not more susceptible to electromagnetic fields. Developmental arguments do not support restricting children's mobile phone usage.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Exposure
- Mobile Telephony
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding potential health risks of mobile phone use in children.
- Previous expert groups suggested limiting children's mobile phone usage without robust scientific evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental arguments for increased susceptibility of children's heads to electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones.
- To determine if scientific data supports recommendations for children to limit mobile phone use.
Main Methods:
- The Health Council of the Netherlands evaluated developmental changes in children's heads.
- Assessed potential differences in electromagnetic susceptibility between children and adults based on head development.
Main Results:
- No significant changes in head development after the second year of life indicate differing electromagnetic susceptibility between children and adults.
- The study found no convincing scientific data to support health-related arguments for limiting children's mobile phone use.
Conclusions:
- The Health Council of the Netherlands found no scientific basis to recommend limiting mobile phone use by children.
- Current developmental data does not suggest children are more vulnerable to mobile phone electromagnetic fields than adults.