Did it ever dawn on you that your cell phone could be more harmful to a child than it is to you? It would be easy to overlook something like this since on the outside it appears we are all made of the same thing. So why would it be more harmful to a child, right? But there are critical nuances in the structural makeup of a child’s body that increase vulnerability.

In 1996, Prof. Gandhi from Utah University was the first to publish a study showing that children are more exposed to radio frequency radiation than adults. His research showed that 5-year-old and 10-year-old children have higher absorption rates than adults because their skulls and bones are thinner, their brains and bodies contain more fluid so they naturally absorb more cell phone radiation than adults.

It’s become the norm for children as young as 8 years old to have their own cell phones. Family plans are widespread and enticing, and sure, knowing you can reach your children at all times absolutely has it’s benefits, but are we trading convenience for health?

A study conducted by researchers from Indiana University, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Campina in Brazil and the Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiology in Kieve, Ukraine found that radio frequency radiation used by cell phones and other wireless devices causes a metabolic imbalance known as oxidative stress. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer officially classified radio frequencies as a “possible carcinogen,” which came a year after the international interphone study found that people who used a cell phone for ten years were 40% more likely to develop brain tumors. This risk was 400% higher in those who started using phones before the age of 20. 

I have rules when it comes to any handheld device, especially cell phones which emit microwave radiation seen in the image above. Here we see an image of radiation absorbed by the head, but whatever part of the body the phone is being stored against is also receiving radiation, if that phone is on and receiving notifications.

I often compare cell phone use with getting a driver’s license, because I am adamant that children and adolescents should not have cell phones until they can consistently show maturity in their usage safety habits. In order to expect and demand cell phone safety from our kids, we must model it. This is what I would recommend modeling and teaching our youth about cell phone safety:

• Use an effective radiation reducing case. ( I recommend testing them, since some actually increase radiation)

• Keep all tracking and notification settings turned off (WiFi, Bluetooth, and Location), especially when the phone is in close proximity to the body.

• Turn off notifications that aren’t absolutely necessary. Each notification sends a signal to the phone. If you hear dinging, you are experiencing a radiation burst.

• Never use the Bluetooth connection in vehicles where the signal can bounce around becoming magnified. Some of the highest test results we saw during an extensive building biologist assessment of our home came from using Bluetooth in the car.

• Keep phones in airplane mode when being carried against the body, while riding in vehicles and whenever they aren’t in use. Even if you have to use the GPS, you can locate the route and then turn the phone onto the airplane mode and it will continue to provide guidance, unless you change your route; in which case turning it back on temporarily will reset the directions, updating the route, then you can switch the phone back into airplane mode again.

• When switching the phone out of airplane mode or turning it on, place the phone onto a surface nearby and keep a safe distance while all of the notification updates are completed.

• Use speakerphone or an air tube (NOT Bluetooth) headset for phone calls (or use texting) and keep the phone away from your body during the call by putting it onto a surface nearby or in a bag or purse. Phones emit less radiation when using the text feature.

• If you absolutely have to make a private phone call and you don’t have your headset nearby, keep the phone at least a 1/2” away from the head for a very brief call.

• Try to use your phone when the signal is stronger (there are more service bars) because the radiation is greater when the signal is weak.

• Never keep your phone on your nightstand or under your pillow at night, instead, choose a common place away from your bed to store and recharge your phone.

Little known fact about cell phones - One cell phone call with the phone placed to your head can liberate 600x more mercury from amalgam fillings than would have otherwise been released.

There is promising clinical research suggesting that the use of herbal Phyllanthus Fraternus, also known as Chanca Piedra, is protective against the brain damage that manifests from EMF exposure. Although I wouldn’t consider this an alternative to safer cell phone habits, in conjunction, it may prove to be a cost-effective added protection.

*note - products on my website may be associated with an affiliate program