Cell phones are ubiquitous in our children’s lives. They emit a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation called radiofrequency or RF radiation. Studies point to several cell phone radiation risks for children due to scientific research that reports impacts to memory, sleep, neurodevelopment, hormones, and numerous other health risks. 

Why Children Are More Vulnerable

Children are not simply “small adults.” Their anatomy, physiology, and rapid development make them uniquely vulnerable to radiofrequency (RF) radiation from cell phones and wireless devices. 

Here is why. 

Smaller Heads and Thinner Skulls

Children have smaller heads and thinner skulls than adults, which allows RF radiation to penetrate deeper into their brain and body. Government exposure limits were based on testing using a large adult male head model, not a child’s. Scientific modeling has found RF absorption rates in children are higher than in adults, 2-fold greater in the cerebellum, 2 to 5-fold in the eyes, 10-fold greater in the skull, and 30-fold greater in the hippocampus.

Rapidly Developing Brains

During childhood, the brain undergoes rapid growth and development. This period of heightened neuroplasticity makes the brain more sensitive to environmental stressors. Experimental studies have found that even low-level microwave exposure can damage brain cells, alter neural signaling, and increase cell death in developing brains. Disruption during early development may result in long-term neurological and cognitive effects.

Higher Water Content in Brain Tissue

Children’s brains and bodies contain a higher proportion of water than adults. Because electromagnetic energy travels more efficiently through water-rich tissues, RF radiation can penetrate more intensely into children.   

More Active Stem Cells

Children have a higher number of active stem cells, which are responsible for growth and development. Research indicates that stem cells may be more sensitive to low-level RF radiation, raising concern that critical developmental processes could be affected.

Smaller Bodies and Closer Device Use

Children’s shorter arms and smaller bodies mean they hold phones, tablets, and laptops closer to their heads and bodies. When devices are used against the body, especially tablets with multiple antennas, a greater proportion of a child’s body is exposed compared to an adult using the same device.

Multiple Phones and Wi-Fi Laptops in Classrooms

Children have numerous overlapping exposures all at once. An engineering study simulating a classroom of children found RF radiation exposure to a child’s head and back increased up to 40-fold when surrounded by other children with Wi-Fi emitting laptops, due to the cumulative emissions from all the nearby Wi-Fi laptops. Toddlers are given tablets in daycares. Parents are unaware of this exposure.   

Cell Towers Are Increasing Children’s Daily Exposure

When antennas are installed near schools, RF radiation levels increase across school grounds and surrounding areas where children spend much of their day. 

• An Australian study found that kindergarten students attending schools near cell towers experienced more than three times higher total RF exposure than children at schools without nearby towers.
• Research also shows that cumulative exposure from nearby cell towers can exceed the RF radiation young children receive from typical cell phone use. A 2023 study published in Environmental Research by Lee and Choi reported that continuous 24-hour downlink signals from cell towers resulted in more than a ten-fold higher cumulative daily brain energy absorption in children compared to exposure from mobile phone use alone.

A Lifetime of Exposure, Starting During Pregnancy 

Exposure to RF radiation during pregnancy warrants special attention because fetal development is highly sensitive to environmental stressors.Yale scientists exposed pregnant mice to cell phone RF radiation emitted by cell phones and reported prenatally exposed mice had memory deficits, increased hyperactivity, and structural brain changes. Further studies on mice have found demyelination and hyperactivity. Human research studies have repeatedly linked prenatal cell phone radiation exposure to emotional and behavioral problems in children.  

What the Science Shows

A growing body of peer‑reviewed scientific research documents biological effects associated with RF radiation exposure at levels below current U.S. limits. A published analysis of the U.S. National Toxicology Program animal study that found clear evidence of cancer, concluded that U.S. FCC limits should be strengthened by 200 to 400 times to protect children. 

Here are some research studies to know. 

Sleep: An experimental study found that individuals with specific gene variants who are exposed to 5G frequencies experienced changes in their brain wave activity during sleep. A study examining the impact of baby monitor RF on sleep quality found exposed adults experienced significantly reduced sleep quality and changes in EEG readings of brain activity during Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep.

Colorectal cancer: A Kaiser Permanente research team is investigating cell phone radiation and colorectal cancer. Studies are ongoing, however they presented preliminary findings at the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology Conference in a poster entitled, “Is Cellphone Carrying Below the Waist (Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation) Contributing to the Rapid Rise in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer?“ Their analysis reports that people who carried a phone on the left side for more than 30,000 hours were 12 times more likely to develop a tumor on that side of the colon. 

Brain and Thyroid Cancer: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified cell phone radiation as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) in 2011 based on evidence linking heavy cell phone use to cancer. Today, numerous scientists state the scientific evidence has increased to the point that RF radiation would be classified by IARC as a “probable” or “proven” human carcinogen if re-evaluated based on current research. Yale School of Public Health has linked cell phone use to thyroid cancer. Published case reports and case-control studies have documented that women who carry cellphones in the bra have elevated breast cancer risk. 

Genetic Impacts:  A review of over 500 studies on genetic impacts published in Frontiers in Public Health found that a substantial body of scientific research has reported genetic damage from wireless radiation exposure in both humans and animals.

Brain Activity: The brain is particularly sensitive to wireless radiation exposure. A National Institutes of Health study found that cell phone use altered brain activity, changing glucose metabolism in regions closest to the phone’s antenna. 

Memory Damage: In a European study of adolescents, researchers directly estimated the amount of RF radiation absorbed by the brain and found that higher cumulative brain dose from cell phone use over just one year was associated with damaged memory.  The effect was specific to figural memory and to the brain regions on the side of the head most exposed during phone calls, supporting a dose–response relationship rather than an effect of screen time alone. 

Developmental Delays: A recent study that directly measured RF radiation levels in the home environment found that children with higher exposure scored significantly lower on gross and fine motor skills and showed poorer performance in problem-solving and personal-social development compared to children with lower exposure.

Animal studies consistently show that wireless radiation exposure can impact the blood brain barrier, impact brain development and damage brain cells, particularly in brain regions critical for learning and cognition, including the hippocampus, with several researchers concluding that such structural damage may lead to behavioral changes and long-term neurological effect.

Impacts to the Endocrine System

Studies have reported that the endocrine system, which regulates hormones, can be disrupted by wireless and EMFs. Research has found impacts on thyroid gland activity, adrenal function, and corticosterone levels, a hormone central to the body’s stress response. This is important because hormones are central to brain development, metabolism, reproduction, and the body’s stress response.  Experimental animal studies have found that prenatal exposure led to a decrease in rats’ estrogen and progesterone hormone levels, impacted the size of the rats’ ovaries, and reduced the number of developing follicles.

Impacts to the Reproductive System:

A large body of human and animal studies consistently report that wireless radiation can impact sperm. Documented impacts include reduced sperm count, motility, and concentration; DNA damage; altered structure; and higher rates of erectile dysfunction. A literature review on the effects to male reproductive hormones concluded testosterone reduction. Reproductive impacts are not limited to males as laboratory studies on female animals link exposure to damage to ovarian follicles, disrupted cycles, and adverse effects on early embryonic development.

The European Parliament’s 2021 “Health Impact of 5G” report concluded that radiofrequency radiation (450–6000 MHz) is likely carcinogenic, clearly harms male fertility, and may adversely impact embryos and newborns.

EMFs can amplify other toxic exposures.

Children are exposed to numerous environmental pollutants, such as air pollution, pesticides, heavy metals, and chemicals, and research shows that non-ionizing EMFs can interact with these toxins to increase their harmful effects. Studies have found that exposure can intensify the biological impacts of substances like lead, pesticides, and air pollution, leading to greater inflammation, immune disruption, neurobehavioral effects, and increased toxicity than either exposure alone.

A note on Bluetooth

While Bluetooth radiation is much lower than that of a cell phone to the head, this does not mean it is safe.  Research by Yale University scientists found that exposure to wireless radiofrequency (RF) radiation at Bluetooth frequency and low power – approximately 4,000 times lower (0.025%) than the FCC’s current allowable limit for human RF exposure interfered with neurodevelopment and increased the expression of autism-related genes in laboratory models of the fetal brain. A study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that prolonged daily use of Bluetooth headsets was “strongly linked” to an increased risk of developing thyroid nodules. 

Schools and Daily Exposure

Schools are now dense wireless environments, often filled with multiple overlapping sources of RF radiation:

• Classroom Wi‑Fi networks
• Student laptops and tablets
• Cell phones carried on bodies throughout the day
• Bluetooth devices and smart boards
• Nearby cell towers or small‑cell infrastructure

Children may be exposed for six to eight hours a day during critical periods of brain development.

Global policies to reduce exposure 

• Over 20 countries have recommendations to reduce cell phone radiation exposure, with several adopting laws focused on protecting children. 
• Several countries have banned the sale and advertising of cell phones designed for young children, and reduce Wi-Fi exposure in schools.   
• Several countries have banned cell towers on school property.

U.S. Government Limits Do Not Protect Children

The U.S. is among the countries that allow for the highest levels of cell tower RF radiation in the environment. The graph below shows the selected countries’ regulations regarding public exposure limits for 1800 W/m2 equivalent plane wave density RF radiation, applicable to schools and/or homes. Many countries have limits that apply to places of “sensitive use” such as apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, permanent workplaces, and children’s playgrounds. The U.S. has no specific safeguards for children or schools. 

Federal Court Ruling on Children’s Vulnerability 

In a landmark 2021 federal court ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered the FCC to explain how its outdated exposure limits specifically protect children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) had submitted multiple letters urging the FCC to reassess its limits to reflect modern device use and to protect pregnant women and children, stating, “Children are disproportionately affected by environmental exposures, including cell phone radiation,” and “current FCC standards do not account for the unique vulnerability and use patterns specific to pregnant women and children. It is essential that any new standard for cell phones or other wireless devices be based on protecting the youngest and most vulnerable populations to ensure they are safeguarded throughout their lifetimes.”

Yet the FCC ignored the letters.

The FCC was also sent appeals from public health groups and hundreds of scientists who signed the EMF Scientists Appeal and European Union 5G Appeal, as well as resolutions from medical associations worldwide calling for risk reduction measures, especially for children. 

However, in 2019, the FCC dismissed their appeals without explanation and stated U.S. cell phone radiation limits set in 1996 did not need to be updated.The Court found the FCC had broken the law by not addressing their requests.

The judges stated in their 2021 court order:

“The Commission’s failure to provide a reasoned or even relevant explanation of its position that RF radiation below the current limits does not cause health problems unrelated to cancer renders its explanation as to the effect of RF radiation on children arbitrary and capricious.”

— 2021 DC Circuit Decision in Environmental Health Trust et. al. v the FCC

Years later, the agency has still failed to respond to the 2021 federal court order or update its regulations.

What Needs to Change

To protect children and future generations, the U.S. must modernize its approach to wireless safety:

• Update exposure limits based on current science and real‑world use
• Require testing that reflects body‑contact and continuous exposure
• Establish national monitoring and public disclosure of RF radiation levels
• Reduce unnecessary wireless exposure in schools
• Prohibit cell towers on or adjacent to school property
• Educate families and educators about exposure reduction

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