Guidelines created to limit the exposure have not been changed since 1981 and do not consider children in the current era of smartphones and tablets, which have become part of our children’s everyday lives as parents use them as a great way to keep them occupied, and they are also used in educational settings. However, most parents simply don’t understand the serious potential long term harm dangers of RF-EMF on children at a stage where children’s brains and skulls are still forming.

The mechanism thought to cause cancer is reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes the creation of micronuclei. RF-EMF exposure poses a greater threat to children than adults due to the major anatomical differences between the head of a child and an adult. The skull of a child is much thinner than that of an adult. Additionally, the marrow in the skull of a child is much more vulnerable to RF-EMF. Another difference is the presence of myelin in the brain of a child. Until the age of two, production of the myelin sheath occurs at a rapid pace. After age two production slows but continues into adulthood. The incompleted myelin sheaths, as well as the unprotected axons, can be easily damaged by RF-EMF. This can lead to axonal degeneration and decreased action potential speeds.

Another difference is the presence of neural stem cells. Neural stem cells differentiate from neuroepithelial tissue. These cells then commit to oligodendrocytes or astrocytes and undergo cell division to form immature glial cells. Research shows that children’s bodies contain a substantial amount of these stem cells, whereas adults do not. RF-EMF exposure inhibits cell division resulting in a decreased number of immature glial cells.

Because of these anatomical differences, parents should be wary of the amount of “screen time” they provide their children. The guidelines of acceptable SAR should also be changed to take the risks to children into account. The nervous systems of children are more vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic waves than adults. The exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) among children should be minimized.