Environmental watch

June 4, 2008 | Print

Children’s Cellphone Exposure

Three brain surgeons recently interviewed on Larry King all stated that they avoid holding cellphones to their ears. They use cellphones on speaker phone or with an earpiece (though wireless ear pieces have their own potentially problematic transmitter, and some view corded earpieces as increasing radiation by acting as an antenna).

Concerns include the radiation emitted by cellphones, the heat they generate and the radio frequencies absorbed by the head and neck during use. While the FDA cites epidemiological studies showing no health risk, those studies are based on only three years of cellphone use.

Other studies in Europe, Canada and Israel are beginning to suggest a connection between cellphone use and certain cancer tumors, especially with longer term use.

Doctors are concerned that kids are more at risk from cellphones. Children’s brains are developing and their skulls are thinner, plus the years and years of longer term cellphone use.

It’s easiest for us to make the cellphone off limits with the kids. On long car rides we can call grandparents from the car speaker phone. The challenge of course will be as they get older and their classmates have phones. We’ll handle that one when we get there.

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