“Ring, ring… Hello?…”

“Ring, ring.  Hello, is Harper there?”  This is a phrase that is heard often around our house these days as Harper plays telephone with an old remote control held to his ear.  In fact, Harper will hold most things to his ear and pretend they are telephones.  However, one thing you won’t see him holding next to his head, or playing with at all for that matter, is a cell phone.  I cringe when I see children, especially babies, playing with cell phones.  Funny how some of the most dangerous things can be the most enticing to babies.  I know Harper loves wall outlets and plugs too, but he is obviously not allowed to play with those either.  Sadly, although most parents know not to let their children play with electricity- and take precautions to prevent them from doing so- most will let their children play with cell phones, without second thought.

“What’s the big problem?”, you ask.  Did you know that France is banning cell phones in primary schools to limit health risks?  If a country is taking such a drastic action, shouldn’t we pay attention to the fact that there may be a true issue?  And, we know that there have been warnings on the safety and health risks of cell phone use in general, with more warnings emerging daily.  Shouldn’t we take these warnings even more seriously when it comes to our children? 

The problem is that cell phones emit electromagnetic radiation.  And, studies have shown that exposure to cell phones, especially over long periods of time, increases the risk of cancer.  Tumors grow on the brain more frequently in cell phone users.  Research is also being done on radiation from cell phones raising blood pressure and emitting heat that changes the body’s proteins. 

Children are at an even higher increased risk than adults for several reasons:  First, children’s brains are still developing.  Therefore, if these phones pose a risk to the full sized, developed brain, how much more risky are they to a small brain that is growing and undergoing constant change?  Secondly, children are starting out playing with phones and using them at such a young age.  Most adults today didn’t have cell phone technology available to them when they were growing up.  The research is telling us the longer the phones are used, the more the danger posed.  We have yet to see the side effects of all these years of cell phone use starting as a young child and going into adulthood.  Thirdly, a child’s skull bones are thinner, leaving their brain with less protection from the radiation.  And, the child’s brain is also smaller which puts it at a greater risk of damage.

Please, reconsider what you allow your children to amuse themselves with.  It is worth telling them, “No, you can not play with mommy’s phone.” to protect their health.  Also, take this research into consideration when using the phone around them.  Consider the exposure caused by you- the parent- talking on the phone when you are holding or nursing your child.  I know this doesn’t allow for a lot of convenience, but it is worth it to go the extra mile so that your child’s brain and health are protected!  Use a wired headset to reduce exposure and keep conversations on the cell phone to a minimum.  Also, using something like a Green 8 to reduce radiation can be helpful too. 

I can’t post this blog without laughing about something that happened when Harper was only a few weeks old.  See, Harper is a little loved and extra protected by his grandparents because he is the first grandchild on both sides.  I wonder how we ever did anything growing up if our parents treated us as carefully as they treat and worry about Harper.  Ha!  This is especially true of how my dad treats him.  So Harper was nursing, as my family hung out together in the living room one day.  All of a sudden, as I usually do, I got a phone call.  I quickly picked up my cell to answer it, so that the ring would not disturb my hungry little baby.  My dad looked over at me in horror and cautioned sternly, “Be careful talking on that while you are holding him, Cindy!”  Just as I thought to myself, “Wow, I didn’t know dad knew the research on cell phone radiation, or that he cared about it.”, dad concluded his cautionary statement with, “because it would be really dangerous if you dropped that phone on him!”  I still laugh about that to this day!  Yes, dad, the weight of a crashing cell phone is very dangerous, forget his brain cells.