SPECIAL ARTICLE The Sensitivity of Children to Electromagnetic Fields

In today’s world, technologic developments bring social and economic benefits to large sections of society; however, the health consequences of these developments can be difficult to predict and manage. With rapid advances in electromagnetic field (EMF) technologies and communications, children are increasingly exposed to EMFs at earlier and earlier ages. Consistent epidemiologic evidence of an association between childhood leukemia and exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields has led to their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a “possible human carcinogen.” Concerns about the potential vulnerability of children to radio frequency (RF) fields have been raised because of the potentially greater susceptibility of their developing nervous systems; in addition, their brain tissue is more conductive, RF penetration is greater relative to head size, and they will have a longer lifetime of exposure than adults. To evaluate information relevant to children’s sensitivity to both ELF and RF EMFs and to identify research needs, the World Health Organization held an expert workshop in Istanbul, Turkey, in June 2004. This article is based on discussions from the workshop and provides background information on the development of the embryo, fetus, and child, with particular attention to the developing brain; an outline of childhood susceptibility to environmental toxicants and childhood diseases implicated in EMF studies; and a review of childhood exposure to EMFs. It also includes an assessment of the potential susceptibility of children to EMFs and concludes with a recommendation for additional research and the development of precautionary policies in the face of scientific uncertainty. Pediatrics 2005;116:e303–e313. URL: www. pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/peds.2004-2541; children, environmental risk, policies, sensitive periods, mobile phones, electromagnetic fields, power lines. ABBREVIATIONS. ELF, extremely low frequency; IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer; RF, radio frequency; EMF, electromagnetic field; WHO, World Health Organization; CNS, central nervous system; ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia; AML, acute myeloblastic leukemia; SAR, specific absorption rate. Children in both industrialized and developing countries are exposed to a large variety of environmental agents including indoor and outdoor air pollution, water and food contaminants, chemicals (eg, pesticides, lead, mercury), and physical agents such as ultraviolet radiation and excessive noise. Changes in exposure to these agents are being linked to real or perceived increases in the incidence of certain childhood diseases, such as asthma, leukemia, and brain cancer, and in some behavioral and learning disabilities. Environmental exposures can be particularly harmful to children because of their special vulnerability during periods of development before and after birth. Exposure to electric and magnetic fields from 0 to 300 GHz has been increasing greatly as countries increase their capacity to generate and distribute electricity and take advantage of the many new technologies, such as telecommunications, to improve lifestyle and work efficiency (Fig 1). Evidence of an association between childhood leukemia and exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields has led to their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a “possible human carcinogen”1 based on consistent epidemiologic data and lack of support by laboratory studies in animals and cells. The reason why the results of the childhood leukemia studies are consistent is still being investigated, but one possibility is that children may be more sensitive to radiation in some or all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Concerns about the potential vulnerability of children to radio frequency (RF) fields from mobile telephony were first raised by an expert group in the United Kingdom2 on the grounds that children have a longer lifetime of exposure than adults, and from a physiologic point of view, they have a developing nervous system, their brain tissue is more conductive than that of adults because it has a higher water content and ion concentration, and they have greater absorption of RF energy in the tissues of the head at mobile telephone frequencies. This topic was discussed further at a European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) 281 workshop,3 in a report of the Health Council of the Netherlands,4 and in a recent report from the United Kingdom’s National Radiological Protection Board.5 To evaluate the available information relevant to children’s sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and to identify research needs, the World Health Organization (WHO) held an expert workshop in Istanbul, Turkey, in June 2004. This article is based on discussions and recommendations from the workshop and provides background information on From the *Department of Epidemiology, University of California School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California; and ‡Radiation and Environmental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Accepted for publication Feb 2, 2005. doi:10.1542/peds.2004-2541 The opinions in this paper are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not represent the position of the World Health Organization. Conflict of interest: Dr Kheifets worked and consulted for Electric Power Research Institute and Utilities (Palo Alto, CA), and Dr Saunders worked for the National Radiation Protection Board (Oxfordshire, United King-