{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-5842","number":"5842","name":"Marjorie Tong","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-28T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-19T04:00Z","body":"I am a mother submitting this comment in response to HHS's Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am writing as a parent and consumer.\nBelow I describe what my husband and I have experienced: the exposure, the symptoms, what we changed, and what happened. I cannot prove cause, but the pattern is consistent. We should not have to guess whether any of these are connected. It is also worth stating that I founded a company that makes EMF-shielding apparel for women, which I started because of my experiences below. \n\nMy exposure: In 2020, when I started working from home during the pandemic, I suddenly spent hours a day with a wireless laptop on my lap and my phone within reach.\nSymptoms: Within months, I developed tingling and numbness in my face and lips, joint pain that radiated up my arms, trouble concentrating, impaired memory, severe panic attacks, and poor sleep. My general practitioner listened to my symptoms and recommended antidepressants. When the pain in my hands became unbearable, I saw a rheumatologist for testing. She didn't find arthritis but offered to prescribe painkillers, which I declined.\nWhat I changed: I took the laptop off my lap, wired my computer and TV, kept my phone off my body and out of reach, used airplane mode often, turned off Bluetooth and WiFi on devices that didn't need them, and turned off the WiFi router at night.\nResult: My symptoms eased to a manageable level. They return when I hold a Bluetooth device against my body and when I spend time in high-EMF environments, like airports and homes run by smart home systems.\nMy exposure: Driving and riding in our two 2026 hybrids, an SUV and a crossover.\nSymptoms: Immediately, I experience severe aching and burning in my hands and feet, nausea, fatigue, intermittent shooting pains in my abdomen and chest, and a short-circuiting feeling in my brain when I try to finish a sentence.\nWhat I changed: I drive as little as possible and rent a gas-powered car for any drive longer than 20 minutes. After parking, I ground myself as soon as I can.\nResult: My symptoms fade slowly after I turn off the car and get out, and they ease noticeably faster when I ground.\nMy husband’s exposure: Sleeping with wireless earbuds in.\nSymptom: A lump about the size of a dime under his ear.\nWhat he changed: He stopped wearing earbuds to bed.\nResult: The lump went away.\nI support HHS examining the health impact of wireless radiation, and ask that HHS treat children and pregnant women as distinct populations in its research priorities. Research priorities include long-term studies of children exposed from birth; pregnancy and reproductive outcomes; the health effects of cell towers near homes and schools, and how that evidence should guide where towers are allowed; exposure in schools and vehicles; and the effects of 5G and 6G on our health and the environment.\nThe experiences of individuals and families who report being affected by, or who are concerned about, potential health effects from EMF, RF, and wireless radiation exposure should be considered alongside the scientific evidence, to help identify gaps in current research and to establish appropriate safety parameters for wireless radiation and public health.\nThank you for including individuals and families in your request for information.\n","attachments":[],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-5842","tags":["child-development","health-experiences","sleep-cognition","biology-metabolism","exposure-places","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"ff0fcca661f7b07a0fa704031c5b2a64a1fdf27134d17f4457efe9b0e47113ba","slug":"child-development-comment-5842","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-5842","body_sha256":"ddacb381a2f48096da66f6d25d41c35f445a27149d43164f78bcaff6dbec6358","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"neurological","topics":[{"id":"neurological","evidence":"d lips, joint pain that radiated up my arms, trouble concentrating, impaired memory, severe panic attacks, and poor sleep. My general practitioner l"},{"id":"wifi","evidence":"d WiFi on devices that didn't need them, and turned off the WiFi router at night.\nResult: My symptoms eased to a manageable level. They "},{"id":"children","evidence":"arch priorities. Research priorities include long-term studies of children exposed from birth; pregnancy and reproductive outcomes; the hea"},{"id":"reproductive","evidence":"term studies of children exposed from birth; pregnancy and reproductive outcomes; the health effects of cell towers near homes and schools, and h"},{"id":"research","evidence":"inct populations in its research priorities. Research priorities include long-term studies of children exposed from birth; pregna"},{"id":"optical","evidence":"hat I changed: I took the laptop off my lap, wired my computer and TV, kept my phone off my body and out of reach, used airplan"}],"summary":"The commenter reports neurological and pain symptoms around wireless devices and hybrid vehicles, describes improvement after reducing exposure and a spouse's experience with earbuds, discloses an apparel business, and requests research on children, pregnancy and realistic exposure settings.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-28T16:50:58Z","review_method":"Full comment-text review with exact source evidence; attachments not reviewed","review_source_sha256":"7b06f7060d89085ee03643fc4731f89328df7a172a0bf5ed154b4b48e317c67b","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["neurological","wifi","children","reproductive","research","optical"],"primary_topic":"neurological","forum_title":"The commenter reports neurological and pain symptoms around wireless devices and hybrid vehicles, describ…"}