The Electromagnetic Field (EMF) is a health concern. The EMF causes ionization in the body, creating free radicals. These free radicals cause oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage and inflammation.
And as with everything else bad, kids are more vulnerable than adults.
Electronic toys and EMF
Electronic toys, especially with moving parts, usually have a motor. And for that motor to function, a temporary magnetic field is created using the flow of electricity. This magnetic field is what causes the EMF exposure.
Consider this baby bouncer: the motor is located in the seat, right next to the baby’s genitals. Leading to a lot of EMF exposure.
In my testing, a slightly different design was much safer. Note that since the electric and the magnetic field weaken with the square of the distance, the location of the motor can make a big difference.
EMF exposure from smart cribs
One thing that makes me concerned about any smart crib is that EMF exposure is going to be there as a side effect of the mechanical or auditory stimulation.
There are multiple discussions about various smart cribs and their EMF radiation.
Let’s say a crib exposes your child to safe levels, say 20V/m. There are almost no studies on what the long-term effects of such sustained EMF exposure are on a developing child.
Further, even if the EMF exposure is low at the time of measurement, there is no guarantee that the circuitry will not degrade and leak over time.
EMF exposure from microwave
The immediate vicinity of the microwave is a high EMF exposure zone. If you are carrying the child in a baby carrier and you are standing in front of the running microwave, the child is going to be exposed to a lot of EMF.
The solution is simple: start the microwave and immediately walk away. And you should do that regardless of whether you are carrying a child or not. There is no benefit to exposing yourself to EMF from a running microwave.
Buy an EMF meter
It is good to buy an EMF meter and measure the EMF exposure in your home. You would be surprised to find out that due to degraded circuitry, some wall sockets leak EMF radiation while others don’t. I had two table fans, the more expensive one leaked EMF, and the cheaper one didn’t!
