Screen Time and Toddlers
New research shows that children who use handheld screens before they begin to talk are at a higher risk of language delays.
A Toronto study of 894 children ages 6 months to 2 years were part of the study that ranged from 2011-2015.
By their 18 month check-up, 20% of the children used a device for an average of 28 minutes a day as reported by their parents. Using a screening tool for language delay, researchers found that the more screen time a parent reported; the more likely the child was to have expressive language delays.
Each 30 minute increase in hand held screen time use translated to a 49% increase of expressive language delay.
These results support a recent recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics that discourages any screen time for children under 18 months
August 7, 2017