Children's Health Defense By
A Japanese study reported that the more time per day 1-year-olds spent in front of screens, the worse their performance on standard developmental evaluations at ages 2 and 4. Delays in acquiring communication and problem-solving skills were the most prevalent and enduring effects.
One-year-olds who log more screen time are at higher risk for developmental delays at ages 2 and 4 — and the greater the screen time, the more serious and prolonged the deficits, according to a study published this month in JAMA Pediatrics.
The most pronounced effects involved delays in communication and problem-solving. Other measures of childhood development lagged at the two-year follow-up but vanished by age 4.
However, the researchers cited a 2020 study that also associated high device use with communication deficits — but conversely, found “better-quality screen use” involving educational content was linked to “stronger child language skills.”
Parents and babies co-viewing content, and a later onset of screen use, also seemed to be beneficial, according to the 2020 study…
