May 9, 2017.
According to a study published in the journal Science Daily and presented at a PAS (Pediatric Academic Societies) conference, exposing your child to screens too early and in particular to tablets would be harmful to personal development.
Children spend too much time in front of screens
As we know, children should not be exposed to screens too early, because they could affect the quality of sleep or promote the development of type 2 diabetes. A study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Toronto has just been to confirm this recommendation. According to this work, the more time children spend in front of screens, the more they fall behind in language learning.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers followed nearly 900 children, aged 6 months to two years, with their parents, from 2011 to 2015. They were thus able to observe thatat 18 months, 1 in 5 children spent 30 minutes a day in front of screens. Specifically, for every 30 minutes increase in screen time per day, researchers found a 49% increased risk of speech delay.
A link between time spent in front of screens and language delays
” New pediatric guidelines recommend limiting screen time for babies and toddlers “, yet ” the use of smartphones and tablets with young children has become quite common », Lamented Catherine Birken, pediatrician at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), who led this work. According to her, this is the first time that a link has been established between time spent in front of screens and language delay.
These results confirm the recommendations of the health authorities, in particular the American Academy of Pediatrics, which suggests that it is preferable toprohibit the use of any type of screen by children under 18 months. Further research will be needed to understand how exposure to screens can lead to development delays.
Marine Rondot
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