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Market research company Mediamark said that while girls still have more handsets than boys -- 21.8 percent compared to 18.3 percent -- that gap has shrunk by half as both genders increasingly use wireless devices.

"This large increase in cell phone ownership, particularly among boys, comes as more wireless providers are targeting parents through feature-rich, kid-friendly phones," said Anne Marie Kelly, an executive with Mediamark.

The research firm said 20 percent of children, aged six to 11 years old, now own handsets.

While the potential risks of tumors from electromagnetic radiation have been hotly debated, researchers agree that children should keep wireless usage to a minimum, since their brains are still developing.

"Some countries are already banning cell phones over health concerns, with France saying children in elementary schools can only use them for texting," said Lloyd Morgan, a director of the U.S. Brain Tumor Registry. "Cell phones can be used appropriately and have a certain usefulness, but I fear we will see a tsunami of brain tumors, although it is too early to see that now, since the tumors have a 30-year latency."

Earlier this month, lawmakers in Maine held a hearing to require handsets sold in that state to carry warnings, informing buyers of the potential hazards of handset usage, much like cigarettes have labels about smoking and lung cancer.

Last year, the U.S. Senate Health Committee started an investigation into the wireless industry, concerned that studies disproving the brain tumor connection may be similar to the cigarette-lung cancer case that was denied by tobacco companies for decades.

For a list of radiation emissions, including rankings for the lowest and highest rated handsets, visit our site at CellRisk.com.