Too much screen time could harm a baby's development, research suggests

BOSTON - There are more reasons to limit your baby's screen time.

It's easy to hand your toddler a phone or tablet to keep them entertained when you need a break, but there's a growing body of research suggesting too much screen time could harm their development.

Japanese researchers studied more than 7,000 mother-child pairs and found that greater screen time at age 1 was associated with delays in communication and problem-solving at ages 2 and 4 years. In fact, compared to 1-year-olds who used screens less than an hour a day, those who spent four or more hours a day on screens were much more likely to experience problems with communication, problem-solving, and personal and social skills by age 2.

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen use in children younger than 18 to 24 months.

In:
• Health
• Children

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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