Screen time for one-year olds linked to developmental delays

The more screentime young kids have, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays, especially in communication and problem-solving domains.The worrisome finding comes from a prospective study in JAMA Pediatrics conducted by researchers in Japan. Screen time is the amount of time individuals spend watching any of a variety of devices such as television, playing video games, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices. “Previous studies have reported associations between screen time and child development outcomes,” the study said. Some have suggested negative impacts on attention, socioemotional development, socialization, gross and fine motor skill, and other areas. Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting screen time to a maximum of one hour per day for children aged two to five years.This study was done to clarify which early childhood development domains may be affected by screen time and whether delays continue over time. It examined the association between screen time exposure at one year of age and five domains of developmental delay: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal and social skills at ages two and four years.The researchers included data on 7,097 mother-child pairs identified from Japan’s Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study. There were 3,674 boys and 3,423 girls.Participants were asked how many hours they allowed their one-year old children to watch various, specific devices. They were given several time categories to select from ranging from less than one hour daily to more than four hours. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3) was used to assess the children’s development. At one year of age, 3,440 (48.5%) children had less than one hour of screen time daily, 2,095 (29.5%) had one to less than two hours, 1,272 (17.9%) had two to less than four hours, and 290 (4.1%) had four or more hours exposure. Children with greater screen time tended to have younger mothers, and lower education and household income.The study stated that the results suggest a dose-response association between longer screen time at age one year and developmental delays in communication and problem-solving at ages two and four years. “In particular, more than 4 hours of screen time per day was associated with developmental delays in communication and problem-solving across ages two and four years.”

Screen time for one-year olds linked to developmental delays

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