Mobile telephony and children

There is an ongoing debate about the possibility of adverse health effects related to radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure from mobile phones and their associated base stations. Of particular public concern in this context are children. In its report the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) recommended that the widespread use of mobile phones by children should be discouraged citing that children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system, their greater absorption of energy in the tissue of the head and a longer lifetime of exposure. However, more recently the Health Council of the Netherlands disagreed with the IEGMP and concluded that there is no convincing scientific data to restrict children from using mobile phones. The World Health Organization states that none of there centre views have found that exposure to the RF fields form mobile phones or their base stations causes any adverse health consequence. However there has been limited scientific research specifically focussed on children. Future research will be required to address the issue of mobile telephony and children. Copyright (2004) Australasian Radiation Protection Society Inc