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Chapter 16. Safety and warranty
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. The IEEE has approved this standard 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.
FDA CONSUMER UPDATE
