How dangerous is electromagnetic radiation from the baby monitor for our children? Baby monitors are now part of the initial equipment of every infant. They send us sounds or even images from the children’s room, provide a certain amount of security by monitoring the sleep of our youngest, and can thus make everyday life easier. However, tests show that the device itself is a major risk factor: electromagnetic radiation endangers us and especially our children who are demonstrably affected by it in particular.
In this article we examine the following questions:
- Which baby monitor models are there, and how do they work?
- Do baby monitors cause health risks?
- What precautionary measures should you take to protect your child?
Which baby monitor models are there, and how do they work?
Baby monitors with low-frequency electromagnetic fields
Baby monitors are electrical devices and, when supplied with power from the wall socket, they generate low-frequency electromagnetic fields in the range of 50 Hz.
Some baby monitors function via the house electrical circuit. The sound transmission only works when transmitter and receiver are located in the same electrical circuit. The disadvantage: this is not possible in every household (depending upon the installed electrical system), can be disturbed by other devices, and forces the baby monitor to be plugged into a wall socket.
Baby monitors with high-frequency electric magnetic fields
Most baby phone monitors are radio devices and therefore use high-frequency electromagnetic fields to transmit sound. The receiver units are usually wireless, meaning mobile.
- Analog baby monitors have selectable channels and resemble simple walkie-talkies. The disadvantage: they work unencrypted, and the voice quality is low.
- Digital baby monitors or cordless phones that can work as baby monitors are reliable and have good voice quality. The disadvantage: they are based on DECT technology and usually emit radiation continuously.
- What is electrosmog and why it is so harmful to health;
- How to mitigate EMF exposure;
- Easy and effective protective measures to promote wellbeing of every member of your family.
Is radiation from the baby monitor dangerous?
WHO classification
The cancer research group (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) classified electromagnetic fields as “potentially carcinogenic” in May 2011 and is currently working on a risk reclassification, based on numerous scientific studies issuing warnings. Epidemiological studies also indicate that low-frequency electromagnetic fields can lead to an increased risk of leukemia in children. As the German “Öko-Test” magazine determined in 2017, many digital baby monitors operate as permanent transmitters, thus increasing the health risk many times over.
U.S. study proves risks for children
The American study by the scientists Lloyd Morgan, Santosh Kesari and Devra Lee Davis from 2014 proves the special electrosensitivity of children. They absorb more microwave radiation than adults: in the skull twice as much, in the bone marrow up to ten times more. They are thus exposed to considerable health risks, for instance neural development disorders, ADHS and an increased risk of brain tumors. Which dosage is right for children is as little known as the permanent consequences. Due to their smaller body size, thinner bones, higher water content and more active metabolism than adults, valid radiation protection limits cannot be applied to children. The authors call for an education and prevention policy.
BioInitiative warns against baby monitors
According to the report of the BioInitiative 2012, an international association of scientists and physicians, the indications of health risks posed by electromagnetic fields have increased significantly since 2007. More than 1,800 scientific studies have been reviewed. Children of all age groups and pregnant women are particularly at risk. Health consequences include DNA damage, effects on memory, learning ability, behavior, attention, sleep disorders, cancer and neurological disorders. Here, the authors again point out that existing limits are not sufficient to protect the health of our children.
What precautionary measures should you take to protect your child from dangerous radiation from the baby monitor?
- Use devices with the lowest possible frequency.
- Do not carry out a range check, and check it yourself before use.
- Ensure that the distance between the device and the child’s bed is as large as possible (at least one meter).
- Look out for the Blauer Engel eco label. This takes into account both environmental and radiation protection aspects. The instructions for use of devices which have been awarded this eco label contain information on precautions against electromagnetic fields.
- For devices connected to the mains, keep the mains unit as far away as possible (at least one meter) from the child’s bed.
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Did you like this article? Follow the latest news on the subject of electrosmog in our Waveguard blog.
Sources
- BioInitiative: BioInitiative 2012 report again warns against wireless devices and EMF. 2013. http://freiburger-appell-2012.info/media/Bericht%20der%20BioInitiative%202012%20warnt%20erneut%20vor%20drahtlosen%20Ger%C3%A4ten%20und%20EMF.pdf
- Blauer Engel: Low-radiation baby monitors. Bonn, Germany, 2018. https://www.blauer-engel.de/de/get/productcategory/148
- German Federal Office for Radiation Protection: Baby monitoring devices. Salzgitter, Germany, 2019. https://www.bfs.de/DE/themen/emf/hff/quellen/babyphon/babyphon.html
- German Federal Office for Radiation Protection: Scientific discussion of biological and health effects of low-frequency electric and magnetic fields. Salzgitter, Germany, 2019. https://www.bfs.de/DE/themen/emf/nff/wirkung/nff-diskutiert/nff-diskutiert.html;jsessionid=70981E7C9A4E78E6C61BC231B18D456A.2_cid391
- Diagnose Funk − German environmental and consumer organization for the protection against electromagnetic radiation (registered association): US study proves risks for children. 2014. https://www.diagnose-funk.org/publikationen/artikel/detail&newsid=333
- Öko-Test magazine: Testing baby monitors. Strongly increased radiation levels found in ten devices. Frankfurt/Main, Germany, 2018. https://www.oekotest.de/kinder-familie/Babyphone-im-Test-Strahlung-bei-zehn-Geraeten-stark-erhoeht_110625_1.html
- ScienceDirect: Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: the consequences. USA 2014. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213879X14000583#!
- Swiss Harmony Deutschland GmbH: Underestimated radiofrequency radiation of baby monitors. Berlin, Germany, 2015. https://swissharmony.de/unterschaetzte-funkstrahlung-der-babyphones/
- Utopia: Babyphone Test. Tips for low-radiation monitoring. Munich, Germany, 2018. https://utopia.de/ratgeber/babyphone-test-ohne-strahlung-strahlungsarm-tipps/
- What is electrosmog and why it is so harmful to health;
- How to mitigate EMF exposure;
- Easy and effective protective measures to promote wellbeing of every member of your family.
