Handheld Screen Time Linked With Speech Delays in Young Children
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- On average 20 percent of children had 28 minutes of daily screen time by their 18-month check-up, according to parents
- For each 30-minute increase in handheld screen time, researchers found a 49 percent increased risk of expressive speech delay
However, researchers didn't find a connection between screen time and other communication delays such as social interactions, body language, and gestures. More research is needed to understand longer-term communication outcomes and to explore factors such as time spent together with parents on handheld devices.
Catherine Birken, M.D., the study's principal investigator and a staff pediatrician and scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children, said the results support the American Academy of Pediatrics recent policy recommendation to discourage screen media in children younger than 18 months.
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