The health concerns of our adolescents … Is having your cell phone in your room at night harmful to your health?

What questions do our children ask themselves about their health or that of their parents or relatives? Why Doctor asked several teenagers to discuss it among themselves and to establish the “hit parade” of their questions. Our editorial staff will respond to them throughout the winter holidays. Today: Is having your cell phone in your room at night harmful to your health?

The human body placed in one of these electromagnetic fields absorbs part of their energy, which is quantified with a figure called the SAR, the Specific Absorption Rate. It is estimated that a whole body SAR greater than 4 causes significant heating effects. This is why the World Health Organization has determined maximum exposure limits: theoretically, this SAR must be less than 0.08.

You will tell me that all these figures are a bit off-putting, especially since the most classic use today is the cell phone which does not irradiate the whole body. This is why we prefer to speak of local DAS, which corresponds to a well localized absorption. For example, with regard to the telephone, one calculates the radiofrequencies absorbed on 10 grams of constituents (skin, brain or bones) of the head. Here again our health authorities have set the standard. The local SAR must not exceed 2. Manufacturers, operators and distributors are required to comply with this standard. Did anyone tell you about this when you bought your laptop? Probably not. This militates so that the SAR of the telephones appears in a well readable way.

But what are we risking?

According to some scientists, cellphones are the cause of sleep, mood, fatigue or depression.

It may also be migraines and headaches, symptoms that are found, it is true very often, in surveys of users.

While waiting for the results of the studies that are launched around the world in all areas of uncertainty, there is an extremely simple measure to apply when in doubt: use the hands-free system and headphones as often as possible. And above all, move the phone away from the bed, even if it is painful to bear …

A few simple tips

Use your mobile phone wisely

Avoid unnecessary or too long conversations, prolonged communication also increases the duration of your exposure to radio frequencies.

Focus on good reception areas

Avoid telephoning in areas poorly covered by the network: inside a vehicle, an elevator, an underground car park, etc. Indeed, in order to maintain the quality of transmission, your mobile phone increases its transmission power and therefore your level of exposure.

Note: you are in a good reception area when your mobile phone indicates a maximum number of bars.

Avoid telephoning when traveling at high speed

When you are moving at high speed (for example by train), your mobile phone successively enters into relation with different cell towers and can raise its power to the maximum level to search for them.

Note: Your mobile phone can transmit at its maximum power when connecting to the network and during the first seconds of the conversation.

Move your mobile phone away

To limit head exposure, you can use a headset (headset).

Children should have moderate use of the mobile phone.

In its October 2009 opinion, ANSES recommends continuing scientific research on the effects of radiofrequencies, in particular on children.

Indeed, if health effects were one day demonstrated, children could be more sensitive to them, their organism being under development (nervous system for example). In addition, when they reach adulthood, they will in fact have been exposed for a longer time to the electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones.

Thus, again as a precautionary measure, parents of children or adolescents with a mobile phone are invited to inform them about the means to reduce their exposure such as, for example, the use of an earpiece.

More information on the INPES website: www.lesondesmobiles.fr