Mobile phones and children: Is precaution warranted?

• Published in: Bioelectromagnetics Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 142 - 144
• Main Authors: van Rongen, Eric, Roubos, Eric W., van Aernsbergen, Lodewijk M., Brussaard, Gert, Havenaar, Johan, Koops, Frans B.J., van Leeuwen, Floor E., Leonhard, Helmut K., van Rhoon, Gerard C., Swaen, Gerard M.H., van de Weerdt, Rik H.J., Zwamborn, A. Peter M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.02.2004
• Subjects: Advisory Committees; Brain - radiation effects; Cell Phone; Child; dieletric parameters; electromagnetic wave propagation; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; hazard; Humans; Microwaves; nervous system; Netherlands; Radiation Injuries - etiology; Radiation Injuries - prevention & control; Risk Assessment - methods; Societies, Medical; specific absorption rate; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 0197-8462; 1521-186X
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.10200

Are there health related arguments to recommend that children limit their use of mobile telephones? The International Expert Group on Mobile Phones from the UK concluded so, but did not come up with convincing scientific data to back this statement. The Health Council of the Netherlands approached the problem by considering whether developmental arguments might be found, i.e., asking if there reason to believe that the heads of children are more susceptible to the electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile telephones than those of adults. It concluded that no major changes in head development occur after the second year of life that might point at a difference in electromagnetic susceptibility between children and adults. The Health Council therefore sees no reason to recommend limiting the use of mobile phones by children. Bioelectromagnetics 25:142–144, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.