Children's Health and EMFs: How to Protect Your Kids From Toxic EMFs

Sep 26

Picture this: a child streaming their favorite show, another online finishing their homework, and yet another texting friends on their smartphone. It's a familiar scene in many households today, as technology seamlessly integrates into our lives.

But have you ever wondered about the invisible guest at this modern-day party? This invisible guest I’m referring to is electromagnetic Fields, or EMFs, generated by these devices and surrounding our children like a silent cloud.

In this digital age, where connectivity and convenience are king, it's time to shine a light on how EMFs might be affecting our little ones' health. So let’s dive into exactly what EMFs are, how they exert their health-disrupting effects, why our kids are especially vulnerable, and most importantly – what you can do to protect your children and your whole family. Let’s start by defining exactly what EMFs even are.

What Exactly Are EMFs?

Electromagnetic fields – more commonly referred to as EMFs are fields of invisible energy that arise from the interaction between electric and magnetic fields. You see, as electrical currents move in any given direction, they create waves of energy in the form of radiation – forming these fields of electromagnetic radiation..1

EMFs can be found just about everywhere – the sun, the earth's magnetic field, and even your own cells emit some level of EMFs. And while these natural forms of EMF can actually be healing, the same can’t be said for all EMFs. You see, the majority of EMFs within our environment come man-made devices such as:2,3

Bluetooth
Cell phones
Computers
MRI’s
Power lines
Radio signals
Televisions
UV lights
Wi-Fi
X-rays

And thanks to our growing reliance on technology that seems to permeate every aspect of our lives, our modern-day environments are flooded with unprecedented levels of EMFs. And while these fields of energy might not be visible to the naked eye, their impact on health – especially our children's health – is anything but invisible.

How Does EMF Affect Children?

When we encounter EMFs within our environment, these energetic fields penetrate into your tissue where they set off a cascade of events that goes something like this:4,5,6

Free radical levels climb: Free radicals are unstable, highly reactive molecules that are naturally produced as your body carries out day-to-day functions. But exposure to certain environmental toxins (like EMFs) can cause a spike in these unpredictable molecules.
Cellular injury occurs: When left unchecked, free radicals can make their way throughout your body and steal electrons from your healthy cells in a process known as oxidation. This can injure your cells – leaving them weak and unable to perform optimally. Sometimes this cellular unjust can be so severe that your cells will begin to die off.
Inflammation spikes: As your cells become injured, your immune system jumps into action – triggering widespread inflammation in an attempt to make repairs and pump th brakes on further damage.
Oxidative stress spreads: As these free radicals oxidize and strip your cells of electrons, they leave a path of destruction in their wake – causing irreversible damage known as oxidative stress or oxidative damage.
Permanent damage ensues: Oxidative stress and prolonged inflammation can do permanent damage at the cellular level – mutilating cellular proteins, lipids, and even your DNA. It’s this permanent damage and alteration to your cells that can have a cumulative effect – eventually leading to the manifestation of health concerns.

Exposure to EMF radiation has been well documented to trigger a significant spike in destructive free radicals. And at some point the constant bombardment of toxic EMFs in our environment can cause our bodies to reach a tipping point. One where our bodies (and our children's bodies) can no longer keep up and our health begins to suffer due this influx of radiation.

But before we dive into the potential health effects these EMFs can have on kids' health, let’s zoom in on why our kids are exposed to monumental levels of these toxic energy fields.

Why Kids Are Exposed to Elevated Levels of EMFs

While all of us are exposed to unprecedented levels of EMFs on a daily basis, kids tend to be exposed to particularly high levels for a few reasons:

Cumulative exposure: The amount of EMFs floating around in our world has increased exponentially in recent years. That means most of our children have been exposed to EMFs since they were in the womb and will be exposed to these amplified EMF levels for a much larger percentage of their lives than most adults.
Educational tools: In schools, students increasingly use electronic devices and computers for learning purposes – meaning they spend a significant portion of their day in close proximity to sources of EMFs.
Increased device usage: Children today are using electronic devices more frequently than ever before. This includes smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and laptops, all of which emit EMFs.
Proximity to electronic devices: Kids often hold electronic devices close to their bodies, such as when using smartphones or tablets, which can result in higher EMF exposure compared to adults who may use these devices at arm's length.
Wireless technologies: Children are also more likely to use wireless technologies for communication and entertainment ( like Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth devices, and wireless headphones) which all contribute to EMF exposure.

And with each generation increasing reliance on technology, our need for speed and efficiency in our digital interactions. Which has prompted the creation of another, more intense sorce of EMFs – 5G.

What About 5G? Does 5G Affect Children?

The answer to this question is – absolutely! The term 5G stands for fifth-generation wireless and it’s a new wireless network technology designed to more efficiently transmit digital data – promising faster speed, better coverage, and an enhanced capacity to penetrate through obstacles (like through the walls of buildings).

The widespread introduction of 5G is problematic for a few reasons:

5G utilizes higher frequency waves known as millimeter waves which have been described as a sort of “super-highway” for transmitting large amounts of frequencies at much greater speed. These frequencies have a much greater ability to penetrate into our tissues and interact with our cells.
Since 5G technology is brand new, there are no long-term studies on its effect on health – not even animal studies – meaning we truly have no idea how serious of an impact these specific energy fields will have on our children's long-term health.
The introduction of the millions of new 5G towers doesn’t mean that older wireless technologies like 4G or 3G are being replaced. Instead, 5G will accompany these older networks and work in conjunction with them – creating levels of radiation never seen before.

Now that we’ve covered just how all-surrounding these EMFs can be, let’s zoom in on some of the health effects long-term elevated exposure can potentially have on children's health.

EMF Radiation Health Effects on Children

The damage incited by EMFs is cumulative – meaning exposure to these energy fields can wear our bodies down over time and make us more susceptible to irreversible damage. Pair this with the damage triggered by the ever increasing influx of other environmental toxins, and it’s easy to see how, eventually, our bodies can reach a tipping point. You see, over time, if the permanent oxidative damage incited by unchecked free radicals reaches a certain point, your cells can no longer do their jobs properly. This can potentially lead to symptoms and concerns such as:7

Burning or tingling sensations
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Digestive issues
Dizziness
Fatigue
Heart palpitations
Insomnia
Muscle aches and pains
Nausea
Red skin

And over time, these symptoms and the underlying oxidative damage can digress into some serious life-altering, or even life-threatening, issues like:8,9,10,11

Cancer
Chronic fatigue
Digestive issues
Muscle aches and pains
Neurological disorders and deficits
Reproductive issues
Skin conditions and rashes

What makes this especially concerning is the fact that this damage is indeed cumulative – meaning the longer you’re exposed to heightened EMF levels, or the more often you're exposed to higher-intensity levels of EMFs, the more accelerated this damage can be. And there is no one more frequently and more intensely exposed to these toxic EMFs than our kids.

Do Children Absorb More EMFs? Why Kids Are More Vulnerable to Health Effects of EMFs

Not only are our little ones exposed to EMFs more intensely than any generation before, but they are also particularly susceptible to the health-disrupting effects of EMFs for a few specific reasons including:12,13

Smaller size: Kids are obviously much smaller in build than adults – meaning it takes significantly less to throw their delicate, growing bodies off-kilter.
Developing nervous systems: Because children's nervous systems are still in the process of development, they are more susceptible to dysregulation from the penetrating energy of EMFs.
Higher conductivity: Water is a potent conductor of EMFs. And children are proportionately composed of more water than adults – with adults containing roughly 60% water and children often containing roughly 70-80% water.
Decreased skull thickness: The typical adult skull has a thickness of approximately 2 millimeters. In contrast, a 5-year-old child's skull is thinner, measuring around 0.5 millimeters, while a ten-year-old child's skull is approximately 1 millimeter thick. This reduced thickness in children's skulls allows EMF radiation to penetrate their brains more effectively.
Elevated exposure: As discussed previously, our children are exposed to these extraordinary levels of EMFs from the moment they are conceived and continue to be exposed as they grow – leading to particularly elevated levels of cumulative exposure.

But in today’s ultra-connected world, there’s no way to avoid EMF exposure. So how do you know how much is too much when it comes to your little one's EMF exposure?

So, How Much EMF Exposure Is Too Much for Kids?

The answer to this question is – it’s complicated. The potential effects of EMF exposure can vary depending on the frequency, duration, and intensity of the exposure, as well as individual sensitivity. And the truth is, you’re never going to be able to get your children’s EMF exposure down to zero.

But the good news is, you don’t have to. Simply taking some proactive steps can go a long way in shielding your kids (and your whole family) from the potentially health-disputing impacts of EMFs –without having to ditch the cell phone or move off-grid.

How Can I Protect My Child From EMFs?

The first step in protecting your kids from EMFs is reducing their overall exposure by:

Encouraging them to keep devices like tablets and cell phones away from their bodies when not in use
Ensuring your children's devices (like their school laptops, game consoles, or cell phones) are off or at the very least in airplane mode when they’re not being actively used
Unplugging your home Wi-fi router when it’s not in use
Using an ethernet cord instead of Wi-fi for devices when possible

Once you’ve taken some steps to pump the brakes on the amount of EMFs flowing into your home, it can be helpful to boost their ability to cope with the unavoidable EMFs by incorporating things like:

Grounding or earthing: When our bodies come into direct contact with the ground and/or a natural body of water, stabilizing ions from the earth are infused into your body – which can help neutralize the destabilizing effects of EMFs. Spend some time with your little ones outdoors walking barefoot, lying in the grass, or swimming in water to help stabilize their (and your own) internal bioelectric environment.
Consuming an antioxidant-rich diet: Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize harmful free radicals – halting their ability to cause oxidative damage. Incorporate lots of antioxidant-rich foods into your family's meals to help balance out free radical levels.
Invest in EMF-shielding devices: There are a number of devices available on the market that can help essentially restructure the waves of energy emitted by EMFs into a more biologically compatible form. They don’t block EMFs, but rather transform them into energy waves that more closely resemble the energy emitted by your cells – minimizing their ability to dysregulate your own cells. You can stick them on your kids devices, have your children wear them, or install one in your home (or all of the above).
Get off-grid: It can also be helpful to occasionally and intentionally get into the great outdoors far away from the bustling, technology filled world. It can give your body a break from the sky-high levels of EMFs in most populated areas.

Simultaneously minimizing exposure and boosting their ability to cope with EMFs can go a long way in protecting your children against the effects of EMFs.

Ready to Tackle EMFs and Other Toxins in Your Environment?

Our reliance on technology is here to stay – and only getting stronger every day. And in many ways, this technology has improved our lives in countless ways. But it does have a dark side and it’s crucial to start protecting our kids now – not only from EMFs, but from the ever increasing load of toxins flowing into our everyday environments.

EMFs and other environmental toxins are easy to overlook, but can have a monumental impact on your health and especially the health of your little ones. So if you’re ready to start tackling EMFS and the other toxins in your life, I’ve got you covered. In my Free Tackling Toxins guide, I’ll help you find the leverage points in your life that will allow you to drastically reduce the toxins in your life – without having to completely overhaul your life.

Click here to download your free guide. And let me know – were you surprised to learn how vulnerable our children are to EMFs? Do you have any tips or recomendations that have helped you slash EMFs in your own life?

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Courtney Tilton