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Higher screen time before age 1 linked to highest risk of developmental delays
READ MORE: Covid restrictions upset children’s balance as they spent so much time on screens
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Putting on nursery rhymes or cartoons has been the savior for many parents looking for some respite for their babies.
But letting infants watch TV, tablets and phones can slow them down to talk and develop, a study has found.
Those who spent the most screen time in their first year of life experienced the greatest developmental delays as toddlers, researchers say.
The data comes after children’s screen time skyrocketed during the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns and school closures forced them to stay indoors.
Letting babies watch programs on TVs, tablets and phones can slow them down to talk and develop (stock image)
Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan studied 7,000 babies, about half girls and half boys, between 2013 and 2017.
Parents were given a questionnaire asking them how many hours they allowed their children to watch television, DVDs, video games and games on the Internet, including mobile phones and tablets.
Response options were none, less than one, one to less than two, two to less than four, or four or more hours per day.
They found that about half (48.5%) spent less than an hour staring at screens, 29.5% spent one to two hours, 17.9% between two and four hours, and 4.1% watched a screen for more than four hours a day.
The children were assessed on communication, such as babbling, vocalization and comprehension and gross motor skills, such as arm, body and leg movements.
The scientists also looked at fine motor skills, like hand and finger movement, and problem solving, like learning and playing with toys.
The children were also assessed on their personal and social skills, focusing on solitary social play and play with toys and other children.
Scientists have linked high screen time at age one to problems with fine motor, social and personal skills at age two, according to findings published in JAMA Paediatrics.
The more time children spent on screens, the less these skills were developed, but these delays disappeared when they were re-assessed at age four.
The researchers suggest that young people may have already suffered from slower fine motor, social and personal development and had high screen time as a result.
They also noted that some children might see an improvement in their language skills if their screens were used for educational purposes.
Associate Professor and study author Dr Taku Obara said: “The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends selecting high quality (e.g. educational) programs when introducing digital media to children aged 18 to 24 months.
“Because it is difficult to limit screen time in general in today’s world of electronic devices, it may be beneficial to identify and limit aspects of screen time associated with developmental delays while leveraging educational aspects.