HEALTH HAZARDS OF USING MOBILE PHONES IN PRESCHOOL

CHILDREN
I. Introduction
Mobile phone a long range portable electronic device used for mobile communication.
Mobile phones are now in expensive, easy to use and comfortable and equipped with
almost every latest feature we desire. The statistical data of 2017 shows that there are 4.77
billion people are using the mobile phones and in India 730.7 million people also in Kerala
3.3 million people are using the mobile phones.Childrens are curious and responsive and
they can learn, adopt and practice new things easily. It is important to catch them in young,
to leave a long lasting impression in their minds.childrens are more susceptible to any
potential dangers, because their nervous system are still developing. Mothers are the one
who are giving continuous care to the child so need to gain knowledge regarding hazards
of using mobile phones in preschool children.
II. Definition
HEALTH HAZARDS
Health hazards is defined as any organism, chemical condition or circumstances that
may cause injury or illness.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phone is a wireless handheld devices that allows users to make and receive
calls and to send text messages, among other features.

III. Reason for mothers are giving cellphones to kids

Preschoolers are curious and responsive and they can learn adopt and practice new things
easilty.Often preschoolers do not kept quiet So mothers are mostly are giving mobile
phones to their kids due to the following reason
 To avoid vigorous paly activities,especiallty the outdoor games
 To keep quiet ,when parents are busy,
 during feeding times
IV. Frequency of radiation
Cell phone normally utilize electromagnetic radiation that are categorized under the
microwave range that is 450-2100 megahertz.
The connection from one cell phones operate at different frequencies
 Wi-Fi connection range:2.4GHz to 5.9 GHz
 Bluetooth: 2.4GHz
 Cellular connectivity range:700MHz to 2.7 GHz

V. TYPES OF RADIO FREQUENCY ENERGY

a) Ionizing electromagnetic radiation:Eg.radon cosmic rays and X-rays
1
 b) Non Ionizing electromagnetic radiation
Mostly used in mobile phones

VI. Levels of radiation from different cell phones

The guidelines created a measure of the rate that body tissue absorbs radiation during cell
phone use called the specific absorption rate (SAR). The SAR for cell phone radiation was set at
a maximum of 1.6 watts of energy absorbed per kilogram of body weight. The limit was set due
to the thermal effects of cell phone radiation (all Radiation can heat human body tissue at high
enough levels) - it was not set to mitigate other biological effects cell phone radiation might have
such as DNA damage or cancer.

HIGHEST RADIATION LOWEST RADIATION CELL PHONES

CELL PHONES
Cell phone type Specific Cell phone type Specific
Absorption Rate Absorption
Level(SAR Rate
Level) Level(SAR
Level)
1 Motorola Droid Maxx 1.54 VeryKool RS90 0.18
2 Motorola Droid Ultra 1.54 Samsung Galaxy Note 0.19
3 Motorola Moto E 1.50 ZTE Nubia 5 0.19
4 Alcatel One Touch 1.49 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 0.23
Evolve
5 Huawei Vitria 1.49 Samsung Galaxy Mega 0.28
6 Kyocera Hydro Edge 1.48 Kyocera Dura XT 0.33
7 Kyocera Kona 1.45 Pantech Discover 0.33
8 Kyocera Hydro XTRM 1.44 Samsung Galaxy Beam 0.35
9 Nokia Asha 503 1.43 Samsung Galaxy 0.36
Stratosphere II
10 BlackBerry Z30 1.41 Pantech Swift 0.37
11 ZTE Source 1.41 Jitterbug Plus 0.39
12 ZTE Warp 4G 1.41 Samsung Galaxy Appeal 0.40
13 Nokia Lumia 925 1.40 LG Exalt 0.42
14 Nokia Lumia 928 1.40 HTC One V 0.43
15 Kyocera Hydro Elite 1.39 Nokia Lumia 1320 0.46
16 T-Mobile Prism 2 1.38 LG Optimus Vu 0.46
17 Sprint Vital 1.38 Samsung Galaxy S Relay 0.47
4G
18 Sprint Force 1.37 Samsung Rugby 3 0.47

2
19 Huawei Pal 1.33 HTC One Max 0.50
20 Kyocera Hydro Plus 1.33 LG G2 0.51

APPLE IPHONE RADIATION SAMSUNG GALAXY S RADIATION

LEVELS LEVELS
Cell phone model Specific Cell phone model Specific
Absorption Absorption Rate
Rate Level(SAR Level)
Level(SAR
Level)
1 Apple iPhone 8 Plus 1.19 Samsung Galaxy S8 1.55
2 Apple iPhone 8 1.20 Samsung Galaxy S7 1.59
3 Apple iPhone 7 Plus 1.19 Samsung Galaxy S6 1.25
4 Apple iPhone 7 1.20 Samsung Galaxy S5 1.47
5 Apple iPhone SE 1.19 Samsung Galaxy S4 1.18
6 Apple iPhone 6s Plus 1.14 Samsung Galaxy S3 0.87
7 Apple iPhone 6s 1.14
8 Apple iPhone 6 Plus 1.19
9 Apple iPhone 6 1.18
10 Apple iPhone 5 1.18
11 Apple iPhone 5c 1.19
12 Apple iPhone 4S 1.19
13 Apple iPhone 4 (GSM) 1.11
14 Apple iPhone 4 (CDMA) 0.87
15 Apple iPhone 3GS 0.67

VII. Common health problems

3
A) Cancer
Cell phones emit a type of radiation that is known as Radio Frequency-
Electromagnetic Radiation (RF-EMR), also referred to as microwave radiation. It causes
tissue heating. Research shows that electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones
get absorbed in the tissues when we hold the phone for longer times. The nervous systems
of preschoolers are developing and have a greater risk of developing brain cancer from
cell phones than adults In 2010 the study on cell phone radiation says that, “in general and
on average, children suffer a higher exposure of their brain regions than adults.” This is
because children have proportionally smaller heads and brains, yet receive the same levels
of cell phone radiation as adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees, saying that
“when used by children, the average RF energy deposition is two times higher in the brain
and 10 times higher in the bone marrow of the skull, compared with mobile phone use by
adults. Studies shows that there is an increase chance of getting brain tumors as the children
tissues and skull are soft than adults
B) Head ache
By using the mobile phones, the radio waves change the brain activity level also cell
phone radiation invokes the inflammatory reaction in cells leads to painful head ache.
Headaches arise for several reasons with mobile phone overuse. It is partly due to eyestrain,
lack of sleep and neck or upper back muscle spasm but may also arise with poor eating
habits and even dehydration that can arise from distraction with a mobile device. The use
of mobile phones with bright flashing screens and long use in dark rooms can also trigger
attacks
C) Eye strain and Vision impairment
This is one of the most common symptoms associated with device overuse. As
previously mentioned, it arises from staring at a fixed distance for a prolonged period of
time. The brightness of the screen also plays a role and is worsened if looking at the screen
in a dimly lit or dark room. Children when concentrate much on playing games in mobile
phone they even fail to blink frequently with the increased interest and attraction towards

4
 the game. This causes the dryness of the conjunctiva and also increases the ocular
tension. This in turn leads to vision impairment
D) Fatigue
Fatigue is a consequence of poor sleep habits that may occur with mobile phone
overuse. It is particularly a problem when a person uses their excessively at bedtime or
skips normal sleep duration to use their mobile device. Poor eating habits that may arise
from preoccupation with mobile phones can also contribute to fatigue. This may be more
pronounced as morning fatigue
E) Developmental disability
As per the researches shows that using the smart phones may affect the child social and
emotional development.it decreases the child performance in maths and science also
decreases the child ability to think in a particular situation.
F) Sleeplessness
Mobile phones can be entertaining and this can lead to people skipping sleep for
longer hours of phone use. However, it has also been found that using a phone before
bedtime can affect sleep in various ways – from falling asleep to having a good quality
sleep. This may also be related to the screen brightness which affects the sleep hormones
like melatonin.it cause fatigue

G) Neck strain
Looking over mobile phone for long time can cause stooping. This causes neck and

upper back strain which present with pain in these areas even with head ache. The
stooping or pain also referred to as “texting neck”. It may even alter a person posture
overtime especially if the causative activity (looing over a mobile phone) is not stopped.
VIII. Role of a mother

As a parent, you must take preventive measures to minimize your child's exposure to the
harmful effects of mobile phones. These include:

5
  Do not give cell phone if your child is under 16 years. A child's brain is too sensitive to
withstand the effects of mobile radiation.
 Do not let your child hold a mobile phone directly up to his head. Use an air-tube headset
instead.
 Do not let your child make calls in buses, trains, cars, and elevators. The mobile phone
works harder to get the signal out through the metal, which increases the power level.
 Do not let your child use cell phone when the signal is weak. It will increase the power
to the maximum, as the phone attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
 Limit the use of cell phone around children.
 Make sure that there is no mobile phone mast or network tower near your home or your
kid's school.
 Do not let children take mobile phones to school.
 Do not leave mobile phones in your children's bedroom at night
 Remove unnecessary application

IX. Summary
Mobile phone a long range portable electronic device used for mobile communication.
Till now we saw that introduction, definition of health hazards and mobile phones, reason
for mothers are giving cell phones to kids, frequency of radiation, types of radiation,
radiation from different cell phones, common health problems and role of parents to
prevent the habit of using cell phones.
X. Conclusion
Mobile phones play an integral part in every ones life. The increase in using mobile
phones are also increasing in adults as well as in children. There are various health
problems associated with over use of cell phones.so parents especially mother play a
significant role in child development, so mothers are responsible person there child having
that behaviour to build up a future healthy nation.
XI. Bibliography
1) Usman and john Davidson. Cell phone the silent killer or just a hoax.JD
publishing.1-48

6
2) World health organization. What effects do mobile phones have on people’s
health? 2006.available from URL:
www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/.../E89486.pdf
3) Mobile phones and hazards https://www.better health.vic.gov.au
4) Arshi 4 harmful effects of mobile phones on kids
2017:http://www.momjunction.com
5) Study on effects of mobile phones on kids the stunning
results:http://www.nbe26.com
6) What effects do peoples have on mobile health:
shttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation