They're cute and appealing, about that there's no question. You can transform a drab cell phone into a holiday gift for the kids by dressing it in a brightly colored jacket or one decorated with Mickey Mouse, Goofy or Donald Duck.

But there is a question about the safety of cell phones for kids. While AT&T, among other manufacturers, has been aggressively marketing cartoon-character phones and special family service plans this holiday season, some leading experts warn that the phones may not be safe for kids to use.

They point to evidence that cell phone radiation penetrates the skulls and brains of kids more deeply than adults, and that this radiation might cause tumors or otherwise affect a developing brain. While not a single tumor or other adverse health effect can be unequivocally tied to cell phone use, these experts say the bottom line is the extent of the risks are unknown, and may remain unknown for many years.

"This marketing of family plans, so everyone can have a cell phone on the same account, that is really wrong, in view of the public health information that we have here," says Dr. George Carlo, who headed the cell phone industry’s just-completed, six-year, $25 million program to investigate cell phone safety. "The evidence we’ve accumulated indicates that children could be at especial risk." (For safety tips on cell phone use, click here)

In a letter last October to AT&T Chair and CEO C. Michael Armstrong, Carlo said he had briefed the board of the Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA) last February on the findings of the research program. "I reported that while none of... (the findings) ...alone were evidence of a definitive health hazard, the pattern of potential health effects... raised serious questions...Today I sit here extremely frustrated and concerned that appropriate steps have not been taken by the wireless industry to protect consumers during this time of uncertainty."

Yellow Journalism?

Kenneth Woo is director of communications for AT&T’s wireless division. "We don't sell to children. You have to be an adult, have a credit card, a line of credit, to buy from us," he insisted in a phone interview. Asked about AT&T ads that show children using cell phones, he said, "I can't speak for what people will do or not do with their phones. We are marketing to families that have spouses or other adults in the family.

"It's yellow journalism to suggest that kids might come to harm from using cell phones," he continued. "All these scientists are saying is that there needs to be more research. We agree with that, and the whole industry agrees with that."

In a statement posted on its website, CTIA president Tom Wheeler says that "wireless phones are safe and meet the safety standards adopted by the U.S. government...the weight of scientific evidence shows there are no adverse health effects from the use of wireless phones." When asked specifically about the safety of cell phones for children, a CTIA spokesperson declined to comment.

The Evidence

Are cell phones safe? It will probably be years before anyone can say for sure.

Cell phones emit low levels of radiofrequency (RF) microwaves. While high levels of RF can, notes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a consumer update, "produce biological damage (this is how your microwave oven is able to cook food), it is not known whether, to what extent, or through what mechanism, lower levels of RF might cause adverse health effects as well." (The FDA consumer update can be found at www.fda.gov).

During the six years of research conducted by Wireless Technology Research, LLC, with cell phone industry funding, researchers reviewed existing studies and conducted new ones. A summary of the research provided to 5th Estate shows that of 56 studies, 16 resulted in findings that suggested the need for further inquiry. Among those that have raised what Dr. Carlo describes as "red flags" are:

• A 1998 study of about 13,000 Swedes and Norwegians showed that people who used cell phones the most reported more headaches, fatigue and feelings of warmth behind or on the ear.
• A 1999 U.S. study involving 465 patients with newly diagnosed brain cancer, and 421 healthy people for comparison, showed that there might be an association between mobile phone use and a rare type of brain tumor. The results were not conclusive, and could have occurred by chance.
• A 1995 study which showed that the smaller heads of five- and ten-year old children absorb more radiation from cell phones than adult-sized heads, and that the radiation penetrates further into the brain.

Last October, the ABC News show "20/20" reported that several brands of cell phones exceeded the radiation limits specified in FCC guidelines. Cell phone manufacturers criticized the ABC tests as flawed, and insisted that their phones do meet the guidelines. However, the FCC issued a statement noting that "variability in testing procedures for evaluating cell phone compliance" is a "key issue," and added that if voluntary industry committees do not act promptly to standardize testing methods, the FCC would act on its own.

Om P. Gandhi, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, was the lead author of the study of radiation absorption by child-size heads. In a phone interview with 5th Estate, he declined to say whether he would let his own child use a cell phone, or to answer any questions about the health implications of his findings. Other cell phone researchers, however, were willing to comment.

"Children should not, categorically should not, be encouraged or allowed to use" cell phones, said Dr. Ross Adey, of the University of California, Riverside, a widely-published RF researcher. He said that work in progress for the past 25 years suggests that brain organization and function are "sensitive to very low levels" of RF. Further, he said cell phone radiation may breach the so-called blood-brain barrier that protects the brain from toxins and pollutants.

"What he (Gandhi) has shown is that radiation penetrates further into children’s heads, but it is hard to know what the consequences are," said Dr. Henry Lai, research professor in bioengineering at the University of Washington, who has also authored RF studies. "But I think some kind of prudence would be a good idea...because one of the outcomes could be tumor." He said he would advise parents not to let kids become regular users of cell phones.

Dr. Linda Erdreich, an epidemiologist at an independent consulting firm whose clients include the wireless industry, said she is not alarmed about kids using cell phones. "If it were my child, I would be in control," said Erdreich, who has worked on RF issues for years. "If a kid takes a phone to a soccer game, and calls you, how much time are they exposed? Are they on for hours? Parents can control that." She also said there is "quite a lot of evidence that doesn’t show any adverse effect."

No Action Needed Now, Government Regulators Say

While acknowledging public concerns about cell phone safety, the FDA says no regulatory action is needed. Nevertheless the agency is urging the cell phone industry to support additional research, to design mobile phones in a way that minimizes exposure to RF, and to cooperate in providing mobile phone users with the best possible information about cell phone safety.

Dr. Carlo contends that the industry is not following the FDA’s recommendations. He says that people who began using cell phones in the late 80’s should be tracked to see what health problems they may develop, but that the cell phone industry has decided instead to do more laboratory and animal research. It is this absence of "tracking and monitoring" that has prompted him to go public with his concerns, he maintained.