Mobile phones do not increase the risk of tumor formation in children. This summarizes the most important result of a long-term study carried out by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. A connection could not be observed – on the contrary.
Smartphone use: No increased risk of brain tumors
According to an extensive study by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, there are “no scientifically proven evidence” to the fact that the use of mobile or landline telephones increases the risk of developing brain tumors in children and adolescents. In the “Mobi-Kids Study” the usage behavior of adolescents with brain tumors was compared with that of a control group. The risk of developing a brain tumor is not greater for cell phone users.
According to the evaluation of the data, there is even a “tendency to decrease risk of illness” if smartphones are used more frequently. This was particularly observed in the 15 to 19 age group. Total are around 2,800 children and young people from eight European countries been examined, including Germany. In addition, adolescents from Japan, South Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were included in the study.
Of a possibly protective effect However, the authors of the study do not want to know anything about intensive smartphone use. The finding may be a “methodical distortion” due to information provided by the parents about the children’s usage behavior (source: Federal Office for Radiation Protection).
With special apps, children and young people can learn a lot – for example how to handle money properly:
Mobile phones as a tumor risk: so far the focus has been on adults
The results of the long-term study are also relevant because previous studies have mainly focus on adult mobile phone users of interest. According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, no connection with the risk of brain tumors could be found here either.