Until definitive information becomes available on cell phone safety, here are some tips for minimizing the potential risks:

Kids

• If you want to stay in constant telephone contact with your child, consider giving them a pager instead of a cell phone. This will also help keep your phone bills within reason.
• Complete the communications link by getting a toll-free number for your home and voice mail boxes for all family members.
• If you feel your best option is still a cell phone, choose a model for your kids and yourself, whose antenna is angled as far away from the head as possible (such as the Motorola StarTAC pictured below). Or, buy a cell phone headset, similar to those used with portable music players. 5th Estate found that headsets range in price from $29.99 to $99.99 depending on the phone model. Headsets are not interchangeable among brands.

Adults

• Use a land-line telephone for long conversations.
• Avoid using hand-held phones inside cars or buildings. The farther away a phone is from a transmitter, the more radiation it puts out to maintain the connection.
• Make sure that you tilt the phone so that the antenna is at an angle to your head, rather than parallel to it.
• If you do use your car as a mobile office, invest in a hands-free installation. These models put the antenna on the car roof or trunk lid - and away from your head. They have the added benefit of allowing you to keep both hands on the steering wheel while you talk. A microphone that clips over the doorjamb or visor easily picks up your voice. Parts and labor cost between $300 and $500, in addition to the cost of the phone.