iPads and cel phones can expose our kids to low dosis of EMF radiation.  

In WTF government news, the state of California kept a set of guidelines they researched and wrote up about the dangers of EMF radiation and how to best avoid this type of radiation, to themselves for about 7 years.

The state's findings and guidelines were finally published ( forced by a court in Sacramento after the San Francisco Chronicle pushed for it for an article it was publishing ) last week. The state claimed that the reason these findings and guidelines were not published was that "( they) were never formally approved by the agency and that releasing them to the public would cause unnecessary panic." However, after reading the findings, it seems like an unacceptable oversight and disservice to the public.

Cel phone radiation is not new news.... even some manufacturers contain warnings (albeit, printed in tiny letters) cautioning that the device could exceed federal radiation-exposure guidelines if carried closer than five-eighths of an inch from the body. It is not a matter of not using cel phones, it is a matter of re-educating ourselves and the younger generation on how to safely use them.

  Now that the sate of California has finally published their own findings and

recommendations, as parents, we can educate ourselves, realize what a real danger EMF can pose for our family's long term health... and implement easy daily changes with regards to cel phones and other wireless devices usage habits.  

The Findings

• • The draft immediately mentions " recent studies (that) suggest that long-term cell phone use may increase the risk of brain cancer and other health problems"

• • It goes on to state that " EMFs can pass deeper into a child’s brain than an adult’s... The brain is still developing through the teen years, which may make children and teens more sensitive to EMF exposure.”

• • There are studies that suggest that regular cell phone use increases the risk of developing some kinds of brain cancer (specifically on the same side of the head that people usually held their phones)

• • There are also studies that link exposure to EMFs from cell phones to fertility problems (lower sperm activity)

What Emits EMF?

Electric Magnetic Fields (EMF) is radiation that is emitted by basically everything that is electric.  Some electrical products, like 

 watches, create weak EMFs.   Others, like X-ray machines, generate very strong EMFs that  have been linked to cellular damage and cancer. 

As is the case with everyday chemical exposure, it is not always the dose of the poison but the frequency that can do harm.  In a nutshell, with EMF it is the cumulative effect we are concern about, ie:  in the case of cel phones, the fact that the cel phone is on or near our body every single day for countless hours a day/night exposing us to constant, although relatively low, EMF. 

Cell phones  and microwaves emit very similar EMF, however scientists are increasingly concerned about cel phones because of how frequently both children and adults use them and how close they are  kept to the head and body, where they are having a negative effect on the body's cells and tissue.  ( I would, however, recommend not standing near a microwave when it is on).

How Can I reduce my family's exposure to EMFs?

None of us will be giving up electrical appliances any time soon... but there are things we can do to help  our family reduce the amount of EMF we are all exposed to on a daily basis.  

 Special effort should be made to reduce  EMF exposure during:

• • pregnancy

• • infancy

• • early childhood

• • teeneage years (this last group mostly because they are SO dependent on wireless technology and- for example- very likely to fall asleep with their phones on their bed. Additionally, the brain is still developing, and thus more vulnerable, until your 20's )

Tips published by the State of California for reducing exposure to EMF from cell phones

1. Increase the distance between you and your phone by: 

• Using the speaker phone.

• Sending text messages.

• Use a headset and carry your phone away from your body. EMFs from wireless (Bluetooth) and wired headsets are usually weaker than those from a cell phone.

• Keep your phone away from your body.

2. A cell phone that is on can emit EMFs even when it is not being used. 

•  Do not sleep with your cell phone near you or carry it in a pocket or directly on your body unless the phone is turned off. 

• Limit your cell phone use when reception is weak or increase the distance between you and the phone. 

• When your phone shows only one or two bars, it is emitting stronger EMFs than when three, four, or five bars are showing. 

3. Reduce the amount of time spent talking on a cell phone. 

• Keep cell phone calls short, even when using a wireless or wired headset. 

• Use speaker phone mode or a corded phone for longer conversations. 

• Take off your headset when you’re not on a call. Wireless and wired headsets emit EMFs even when you are not using your phone. 

•

Do not rely on devices that claim to shield or neutralize EMFs from cell phones. These devices have not been shown to reduce exposures.

Non-Toxic Munchkin's Additional Tips for Children and Pregnant Women

Remember,  children and the developing fetus are especially vulnerable to EMF.

• Do not allow babies and young children to play with cel phones. Period. If they have it in their hands make sure it is on airplane mode or turned off.

• Limit the time young children and pregnant women use ipads, laptops and cel phones. Ideally these should always be placed on airplane mode when handled by young children. If wifi is needed, then the item in question should be placed on a table and never on a lap. The farther away the phone is from your body, the lower the exposure to EMF

• Do not carry your cel phone inside a clothing pocket, your bra or anywhere adjacent to your body, especially during childhood and pregnancy. If you must, put it in airplane mode or turn it off.

• Careful with the placement of wireless devices (phones, cameras, monitors etc) and beds/cribs. These items are safest placed far from you or your child's body and on airplane mode or turned off.

• Careful with the placement of your wireless device when using a stroller. Place as far away from your child as possible.

• Never fall asleep, or allow your child to fall asleep, with a cel phone or other wireless device under your pillow

Cel phones and other wireless devices ARE safe to use... but as with many other things we just need to know how to use them and teach our children safe usage protocol.   Not hard at all.