Are mobile phones a hazard to kids' health?
By Katy Holland
Love them or loathe them, there's no denying that mobile phones are well and truly part of modern life. But while they have become our most popular means of communication, could they be damaging our children's health?
Recent estimates suggest that more than 27 million people in the UK now use a mobile phone - that's half the population and figure is increasing all the time; last year, there was an average of 41,000 new users per day. One of the steepest rises in their use is among young people. At the moment, 8 million users are school age. And while the under-12s currently represent only a small percentage - estimates place figures at less than half a million - there is no doubt that their use among this age-group is growing.
The upwardly mobile phone
So what is it that makes the mobile phone such a must-have for youngsters?
One of the main reasons children use them is because we want them to. As parents, we feel that the personal security of our offspring is immensely improved if we can contact them at any time. And of course, our kids don't object. We all know the power of peer pressure - mobile phones are cool and grown-up, in the same way that cigarettes used to be "right-on". But do mobile phones carry health risks as cigarettes do?
Radiation issues
Mobile phones work by transmitting and receiving low levels of radiation. Although these levels are believed to be completely safe, there have long been links between radiation exposure and health problems - most notably cancer.
Children are particularly vulnerable to radiation, because their nervous systems are not yet fully formed. Their brain tissue is also more likely to absorb energy, and, if they use mobile phones, there is concern that they will also have a far longer lifetime of exposure to radiation.
Health risks - the story so far
The most recent and extensive report to be carried out into the health risks of mobile phones was the government-commissioned Stewart Report. Its findings made the headlines in May 2000 because it said children and teenagers should be discouraged from using mobiles because of their vulnerability to radiation. It also pointed out that there were serious gaps in scientific knowledge, and called for more research into this field. It did, however, conclude that on balance there was not yet any evidence that mobile phones presented a real threat to health.
But other research has suggested that there are more definite links between health problems and mobile phone use. Swedish studies, for example, are among several which claim that users are more likely to develop brain tumours. And further reports have linked mobile phones with health problems ranging from Alzheimer's disease to speech problems, skin disorders and memory loss. But along with the Stewart Report, the general consensus seems to be that more research is urgently needed.
The mobile phone industry's response to these health concerns has been pretty slow, insisting that radiation amounts are well within the established safety guidelines.
What the teachers say
Schools are wising up to the issues surrounding children and mobile phones. Their popularity among youngsters has meant that many secondary schools have banned their use. "Although this issue has yet to have an impact on primary schools, children in the final years of junior school seem to be hopping on the mobile bandwagon. It may not be long before even these schools have to address the problem," says John Bangs, head of the National Union of Teachers' education department.
He says that there is now a generally held view among schools that mobiles are not for use in the classroom, both for health reasons and because they are potentially disruptive. "Individual schools have their own policies about mobile phones, but an increasing number now require them to be switched off in the playground, as well as the classroom, so that they are only used outside school hours. One or two schools have banned them altogether. But most teachers don't want to go this far, because it is recognised that they have their uses in terms of personal security," he says.
What precautions should my child take?
Until there is further evidence, it seems sensible to be cautious when it comes to any child using a mobile phone. The Department of Health says that if your child must use a mobile phone at all, you should:
- Discourage her from using mobile phones for non-essential calls
- Invest in a hands-free kit, which is believed to be less radioactive (although there has been some disagreement about this)
- Encourage your child to keep all calls as short as possible.
You could also buy a low-radiation phone - Mitsubishi and Hitachi are now marketing these.
Katy Holland is health editor on Mother & Baby magazine. She has been a journalist for 10 years and has two sons of five and two.
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