Mobile phone use isn't linked with eye cancer

The latest edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute says mobile phone use isn't associated with the risk of melanoma of the eye (uveal melanoma). Researchers in Germany looked at the association between phone use and risk of uveal melanoma, finding no statistically significant association between mobile phone use of up to about 10 years and uveal melanoma risk. [Source: ScienceDaily.com]

Finland tells parents to monitor childrens' mobile use

Rather like the findings of the UK's Stewart Report, ­Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) says there's no evidence that mobile phones are dangerous to health but tells parents to restrict children's mobile phone use until all the effects are known. It suggests sending text messages instead of making voice calls and says children should be taught to use hands-free devices. [Sources: Finland.fi; stuk.fi (Finnish)]

Hospitals should reconsider mobile phone bans

New guidelines from the Department of Health say hospitals in England should consider allowing mobile phones to be used in hospitals wherever it doesn't interfere with equipment, affect privacy or cause a nuisance. They also say that mobile phone use should continue to be restricted in areas where critical care equipment susceptible to electro magnetic interference is used. [Press release]

itsmy.com mobile users need help on the street

Publicity-seeking mobile social networking site itsmy.com says it wants to protect its users on the street - and it's therefore submitted the concept for a new "Watch out I'm an itsmy.com user not paying attention" road sign to the European Union. It says a survey of its users revealed that 64% had already bumped into someone else or fallen over something while surfing the mobile internet and walking. Of course, the signs will need to be fixed above head height... [Press release]

Mobile phones affect lab rat memory

Experiments at the Division of Neurosurgery in Sweden's Lund University have revealed that rats exposed to mobile phone radiation for two hours a week for over a year results in the rats being less successful with memory tests. The tests involved rats being released into a box and showing interest in the objects it contained; rats exposed to mobile phone radiation were less interested than the 'control' rats. [Sources: Press release (Swedish); idw-online.de]

Mobile phones can damage your soul

"Vatican Warns That Mobile Phones Threaten the Soul". That's the headline, although Father Federico Lombardi, who runs the Vatican press office, wasn't quite that specific. He's warned people that modern life isn't leaving time for us to look after the spiritual dimension of our lives - and says mobile phones and the internet probably make it more difficult. [Source: Cellular-News.com]

Messaging pressure creates mobile email addiction

The pressure for employees to be online 24 hours a day is driving them to risky behaviors and also underscores the importance of email reliability and availability for businesses, according to a new study commissioned by software company Neverfail. Its report says worry over being available during non-work hours has led employees to email addiction. 94% of respondents said they used their phones to send email or text messages during work nights or at weekends, and nearly 80% took their phones on holiday. [Press release]

Skin disorder caused by mobile phones

The British Association of Dermatologists is warning doctors to watch out for a new allergic skin disorder caused by mobile phones. It's been called 'mobile phone dermatitis' and happens when Nickel-allergic people hold a mobile phone containing nickel to their face or ear for long periods of time. Nickel is the most common 'contact' allergy in the UK and is found in the 'metallic' casing or buttons of some mobile phones. [Press release]

Making Sense of Radiation

The London-based Sense About Science charity has published a guide called 'Making Sense of Radiation', which offers guidance for people concerned about radiation from mobiles, WiFi and radio masts. It's particularly critical of speculative stories and unnecessary 'protective' products. [Sources: Guardian.co.uk; Sense About Science statement; PDF report]

Israel publishes mobile phone health guidelines

Israel's Health Ministry has published guidelines about mobile phone usage. The ministry's head of public health says they contain "absolutely nothing new" and are based on information that's already been released by other organisations. [Source: Jerusalem Post]

Physiotherapists warn against active text life

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is warning against text message injury (TMI) with news that one in six (16%) of 16-24 year olds experience discomfort in their hands when they send text messages. They're urging people of all ages to keep messages short, with a recommendation to use abbreviations and the predictive text function. They also say texters should try to restrict text sessions to 5-10 minutes and avoid holding the phone if they are not using it. The CSP has created a 5-step programme to safer texting:

1. Hold the phone up with the screen facing towards you so you are not having to flex your neck too much as you look down to view the screen.
2. Keep your hands close to your body. The weight of a phone may not feel much, but the load on your arm is significantly increased if the arm is held out stretched and this action will put strain on your neck and shoulder muscles.
3. Try to use both hands together when texting to “spread the load”. Keep messages short and use abbreviations and the predictive text messaging feature on your phone. This will help reduce the repetitive motion of pressing various keys.
4. Don’t text continuously. Try to take breaks by putting the phone down between text messages.
5. Carry out the following two exercises to prevent text message injury:
   Regularly open your fingers and stretch them out.
   Stretch your arm out, rotate your wrist so it is facing upwards and with your other hand pull your palm down towards the floor to feel a stretch over the front of your forearm muscles. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.

US Cancer Institute warns against mobile phone use

Ronald Herberman, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, has said that
the electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phones should be considered a potential human health risk despite the lack of any conclusive data. [News release; full article (PDF)]

Institute of Engineering & Technology talks about mobile phone health effects

The IET - the Institute of Engineering and Technology - has published a document explaining its position on the possible health effects of mobile phones and electricity pylons to health. It has reviewed scientific papers from the last two years and points out that scientists have been unable to replicate some results from high-profile studies, suggesting that the original research wasn't investigated sufficiently before publication. The IET says the absence of robust new evidence of harmful effects of electromagnetic fields is reassuring and is consistent with findings over the past decade. [PDF document]

Researchers link mobile use during pregnancy with behavioural problems

Using a mobile phone while pregnant could lead to a child with behavioural problems, according to research highlighted by The Independent. A survey found that mothers who'd used handsets just two or three times a day could have raised the risk of their babies developing behavioural problems by the time they reached school age. The research involved the mothers of 13,159 children born in Denmark in the late 1990s, asking them about their use of the phones in pregnancy, their childrens' use of them and their childrens' behaviour up to the age of seven. Mothers who'd used mobiles were 54% more likely to have children with behavioural problems. The scientists are reported as saying there might be other possible explanations they did not examine – such as that mothers who used mobile phones frequently might pay less attention to their children – and stress that the results should be interpreted with caution. (Update: Guy Kewney at NewsWireless.net explains the situation well, as usual).

Lamp-posts get padding to protect texters

Spot the publicity stunt. Lamp-posts in London's Brick Lane have been padded to protect mobile phone users from 'walking and texting' injuries. The experiment has been arranged by the Living Streets charity after research by directory enquiries company 118 118 found that 10% of us had hurt ourselves while looking at a mobile phone screen. [Sources: ITN.co.uk, Engadget.com, Cellular-News.com]

Mobiles "don't increase tumour risk"

The BBC reports that research from Tokyo Women's Medical University appears to show no additional risk of brain tumours from using mobile phones. The study, which is reported in the British Journal of Cancer, looked at at total of 1005 people.

Mobiles could be disturbing our sleep

Mobile phones could stop you from getting a decent night's sleep, according to research from Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State University in the USA. The study suggested that radiation could cause insomnia and headaches, although it's been likened to a similar effect as drinking a cup of coffee. [Source: BBC News]