Children's heads are most at danger from mobile phone radiation:

• Children’s heads absorb up to 50% more mobile phone radiation than adults’ heads because their ears and skulls are smaller and thinner
• When a five year old uses a mobile, the radiation permeates 50% of the brain (on the side to which the phone is being held). This figure reduces to 30% for ten year olds. In adults only a small area around the ear is penetrated

The study by Utah (US) University’s Professor Om Ghandi confirmed previous findings.

Om also questioned the validity of the current method of measuring mobile phone emissions with so-called ‘phantom heads’. These are adult size and sport large plastic ears. Om argued that the head should reflect a child’s skull and that the ears should be made of a material which more accurately reflects the electromagnetic properties of children’s ears. He claimed that, if this were done, many mobile phones currently meeting safety standards would exceed them.

In the UK, by the year 2000 more than 56% of 7-16 year olds and 85% of 15-16 year olds owned a mobile phone.