This measurement is used to determine whether a wireless phone complies with safety guidelines.
9. What steps can I take to reduce my exposure to radiofrequency energy from my wireless phone?
If there is a risk from these products - and at this point we do not know that there is - it is probably very small.
But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you can take a few simple steps to minimize your
exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF). Since time is a key factor in how much exposure a person receives,
reducing the amount of time spent using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure. If you must conduct
extended conversations by wireless phone every day, you could place more distance between your body and
the source of the RF, since the exposure level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, you could use
a headset and carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a wireless phone connected to a remote
antenna. Again, the scientific data does not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But if you are
concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use measures like those described above to
reduce your RF exposure from wireless phone use.
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, the
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 the 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. The 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 no interference occurs when a person
uses a 'compatible' phone and a 'compatible' hearing aid at the same time. This standard was approved by
the IEEE in 2000. The FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible interactions with other
medical devices. Should harmful interference be found to occur, the FDA will conduct testing to assess the
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