Most parents do not allow their children to watch TV or videos on their smartphones for long periods of time, believing that the problem is only in their poor eyesight.
Japanese scientists have come to conclusions that will make many young parents think twice.
Research has shown that frequent viewing of television or videos on gadgets by children from one year of age increases the risk of autism.
The conclusions were made by researchers from the University of Yamanashi. The results of the work were published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Research details
A survey was conducted among 84 thousand mothers of one-year-old children. Researchers were interested in how much time children spend in front of screens (TV, gadgets, computers) during the day.
A follow-up survey was conducted two years later. Parents were asked whether any developmental disorders had been identified in their children aged 2–3 years.
It turned out that autism was diagnosed more often in boys than in girls (according to a survey of Japanese scientists, there were three times more boys in the study group).
A link was also confirmed between diagnosis and time spent in front of screens from the age of one year.
Research results
Children who watched one hour of television a day at age one had a 38% increased risk of developing autism at age three compared to those who watched no television at all.
For boys who watched TV up to two hours a day, the risk more than doubled.
Spending 2 to 4 hours a day in front of a screen increased the risk of deviation by more than 3 times.
Earlier we talked about which inflatable pool to choose for your child at home.
