Protecting Your Children From EMF Leave a comment

“In other words, not only are children more vulnerable to health risks and damage from cell phone radiation, but also cell phone regulations are fundamentally and completely inadequate to protect children from this damage.”

 

Our children are being born into exponentially increasingly digital worlds, filled with ever evolving technologies. Research also suggests that the current generation of youth is dealing with the highest prevalence of chronic illness ever recorded. Could there be a link to EMF?

There are many reasons why children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of EMFs than adults:

• Children’s brains and nervous systems are not fully developed until their early 20s. This makes their tissue more susceptible to damage. Children’s skulls, because of development, are softer and thinner, which means that more radiation is able to penetrate their brains. The younger the child, the thinner and softer the skull is. A 2015 study funded by the Environmental Health Trust demonstrated that children absorb significantly more radiation from a cell phone than adults do.
• Children have much less body mass than adults, which means that the effects of EMF are stronger on their bodies than that of adults. A higher water content in the bodies of children also means more harmful effects – as water acts as a radiation conductor.

“When electrical properties are considered, a child’s head’s absorption can be over two times greater, and absorption of the skull’s bone marrow can be ten times greater than adults. Therefore, a new certification process is needed that incorporates different modes of use, head sizes, and tissue properties. Anatomically based models should be employed in revising safety standards for these ubiquitous modern devices and standards should be set by accountable, independent groups.” (Gandhi, 2011).

In addition to this, cell phone safety standards completely ignore children. A measurement, called “SAR” for “Specific Absorption Rate”, is used in many countries as a basis for regulations on cell phone use.This testing utilises the body of a grown man as the test subject – meaning that absorption rates are based on a much larger body mass than that of children. Not only do children absorb more radiation due to their developing skulls and higher water content, but cell phone safety standards are not based on what is safe for their smaller bodies.

The Stewart Report, published in 2000 by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones at the request of England’s Minister for Public Health, made suggestions to limit EMF exposure of British infants and children, although no legislation has been passed:

“…children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system, the greater absorption of energy in the tissues of the head, and a longer lifetime of exposure. In line with our precautionary approach, at this time, we believe that the widespread use of mobile phones by children for non-essential calls should be discouraged. We also recommend that the mobile phone industry should refrain from promoting the use of mobile phones by children.”

EMF exposure in children may be linked with the rise of various illnesses and disorders, including:
– Obesity
– Asthma
– Mental health conditions
– Neurodevelopmental disorders
– ADHD
– Autism
– Cancer, including childhood leukaemia
– Harm to brain development
– Chronic allergies
– Mood disorders
– Childhood diabetes
– Increased risk of brain tumours

The last fifty years has seen a well documented rise in chronic health conditions in children, and many posit that this is in part due to rapid increases in technology and the EMF that these produce. Many scientists and researchers have made recommendations for “additional research and the development of precautionary policies in the face of scientific uncertainty.”

“With rapid advances in electromagnetic field (EMF) technologies and communications, children are increasingly exposed to EMFs at earlier and earlier ages. Consistent epidemiologic evidence of an association between childhood leukaemia and exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields has led to their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a “possible human carcinogen.” Concerns about the potential vulnerability of children to radio frequency (RF) fields have been raised because of the potentially greater susceptibility of their developing nervous systems; in addition, their brain tissue is more conductive, RF penetration is greater relative to head size, and they will have a longer lifetime of exposure than adults.” (Kheifets, 2005)

In the face of all of this uncertainty, and strong evidence regarding the harmful effects of EMFs, place importance on teaching your children healthy tech habits. Try to limit the time your children spend on devices, and take action to lower the general EMF exposure in your home. Our children are exposed to more EMF levels than any other generation, and will continue to be exposed, and accumulate damage from this, throughout their lives. It is our job to protect and educate them on this.

Read More Here:

Perrin, J and Anderson, L et al. 2014. The Rise In Chronic Conditions Among Infants, Children, And Youth Can Be Met With Continued Health System Innovations. Available:
https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0832

Amalani, B. 2022. EMFs are far more dangerous to children: how to make sure your kids are protected. Available: https://www.blushield-us.com/emfs-are-far-more-dangerous-to-children-how-to-make-sure-your-kids-are-protected/

Moon, J. 2020. Health effects of electromagnetic fields on children. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7642138/

Kheifets, L et al. 2005. The Sensitivity of Children to Electromagnetic Fields. Available: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2004-2541

Restorative Wellness Center. 2020. EMFs and Children. Available: https://www.restorativechiro.com/blog/2020/5/16/emfs-amp-children

Ghandi, O et al. 2011. Exposure Limits: The underestimation of absorbed cell phone radiation, especially in children. Available: https://doi.org/10.3109/15368378.2011.622827

Blank, R. 2022. What Are the EMF Radiation Health Risks for Children? Available:
https://www.shieldyourbody.com/children-emf-radiation-health-risks/

Gordon, S. 2015. How Wireless Devices Can Be Dangerous for Your Family. Available: https://www.parents.com/health/healthy-happy-kids/how-wireless-devices-can-be-dangerous-for-your-family/

EMF Harmony. 2022. PROTECTING YOUR CHILD FROM EMF RADIATION. Available: https://emf-harmony.com/blogs/news/protect-your-child-emf-radiation